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70th Congress 
1st Session 


} 


SENATE 


Document 
No. 58 


No. 


PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT 
OF COLUMBIA 


LETTER 


FROM 


HERBERT D. BROWN 


CHIEF OF THE^BUREAU OF EFFICIENCY 
TO 


SENATOR LAWRENCE C. PHIPPS 

TRANSMITTING IN RESPONSE TO HIS REQUEST, ON BEHALF OF 
THE SENATE COMMITTEE IN CHARGE OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A REPORT OF A SURVEY OF THE 
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 



UNITED STATES 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
WASHINGTON 
1928 








SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 144 


[Submitted by Mr. Phipps] 


In the Senate of the United States, 
February 16 (calendar day, February 17), 1928. 

Resolved, That the manuscript of the report of a survey of the 
public schools of the District of Columbia, transmitted by the United 
States Bureau of Efficiency to Senator Lawrence C. Phipps, chair¬ 
man of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for the con¬ 
sideration of the District of Columbia appropriation bill, be printed 
with illustrations as a Senate document. 

Attest: 

Edwin P. Thayer, 

Secretary. 


ii 


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

RECF.fVEO 

MAR 2<> 1928 

DOCUMENTS DIVISION 








>0 







Letter of transmittal_ 

General summary of report_ 

Part I. Statutory authority for the system of public schools in the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia_ 

II. Organization and administration_ 

III. The teaching staff_ 

IV. The building situation_ 

V. Business management_ 

VI. Custody of buildings_ 

VII. Repair and alteration of buildings_ 

VIII. School health supervision_ 

Appendix A. History of the Washington public schools_ 

Appendix B. Proposed reorganization bill approved by the Board of Edu¬ 
cation June 11, 1924_ 

Appendix C. Report of a survey of the heating and ventilating systems 

of the District public schools_ 

Appendix D. Report of a survey of conditions affecting health and safety 
in the public schools of the District of Columbia_ 


Fas* 

v 

1 


19 

29 

53 

99 

143 

153 

163 

171 

177 

182 

185 

196 


EXHIBITS 


Exhibit 1. Chart A.—General organization, public schools, Washington, 

D. C., opposite_1_ 32 

Exhibit 2. Chart B.—Organization of white public schools, Washington, 

D. C., opposite_ 32 

Exhibit 3. Chart C.—Organization of colored public schools, Washington, 

D. C., opposite_ 32 

Exhibit 4. Average number of pupils enrolled in the public schools of the 

District of Columbia for the period of 10 years ending June 30, 1927_ 55 

Exhibit 5. Whole number of pupils enrolled in the public schools of the 

District of Columbia for the period of 10 years ending June 30, 1927_ 57 

Exhibit 6. Average number of pupils in daily attendance in the public 
schools of the District of Columbia for the period of 10 years ending 

June 30, 1927- 59 

Exhibit 7. Number of teachers in the public schools of the District of 

Columbia for the period of 10 years ending June 30, 1927_ 61 

Exhibit 8. Age distribution of children of census age resident in the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia school year 1926-27_ 125 

Exhibit 9. Classification of children of census age in the District of Colum¬ 
bia school year 1926-27_ 125 

Exhibit 10. Enrollment of nonresident children of census age in schools 

in the District of Columbia school year 1926-27- 126 

Exhibit 11. Total number of children of compulsory school age, the num¬ 
ber enrolled in schpol, and the per cent enrolled, District of Columbia, 

school year 1926-27_ 126 

Exhibit 12. Map of elementary school divisions (white), public schools, 

District of Columbia, opposite_ 126 

Exhibit 12A. Map of white school census, 1926-27, opposite- 126 

Exhibit 13. Map of elementary school divisions (colored), public schools, 

District of Columbia, opposite_ 126 

Exhibit 13A. Map of colored school census, 1926-27, opposite- 126 

Exhibit 14. Elementary school buildings, their location, and a general de¬ 
scription of each_ 127 

Exhibit 15. Normal schools, high schools, vocational schools, their loca¬ 
tion, and a general description of each_ 133 

Exhibit 16. Classification of rooms in elementary school buildings_ 135 

Exhibit 17. Classification of rooms in normal schools, high schools, and 
vocational schools- 140 


ni 



















































LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 


January 30, 1928. 

Hon. L. C. Phipps, 

United States Senate , Washington, D. G. 

My Dear Senator: With further reference to your letter of Feb¬ 
ruary 15, 1927, in which you requested on behalf of the Senate com¬ 
mittee in charge of appropriations for the District of Columbia, that 
the Bureau of Efficiency undertake a complete survey of the public- 
school system of the District of Columbia, I am transmitting here¬ 
with the report, dated January 3, 1928, of Messrs. Herbert H. Rapp 
and Paul Rapp, of our staff, who were in immediate charge of the 
survey. The report is composed of the following parts: 

General summary of report. 

Part I. Statutory authority for the system of public schools in the 
District of Columbia. 

Part II. Organization and administration. 

Part III. The teaching staff. 

Part IV. The building situation. 

Part V. Business management. 

Part VI. Custody of buildings. 

Part VII. Repair and alteration of buildings. 

Part VIII. School health supervision. 

Appendix A. History of the Washington public schools. 

Appendix B. Proposed reorganization bill approved by the Board 
of Education, June 11, 1924. 

Appendix C. Report of a survey of the heating and ventilating sys¬ 
tems of the District public schools. 

Appendix D. Report of a survey of conditions affecting health and 
safety in the public schools of the District of Columbia. 

We desire to make acknowledgment of the valuable assistance 
rendered by the United States Public Health Service in the investi¬ 
gation and their preparation of those parts of the report covering 
“ School health supervision ” and “ Survey of conditions affecting 
health and safety in the public schools of the District of Columbia,” 
and by the United States Bureau of Mines in the investigation and 
their preparation of that part of the report covering the “ Survey of 
the heating and ventilating systems of the District public schools.” 

I trust that the report will prove satisfactory to your committee. 
However, if there is any additional information that you may desire, 
or if you should care to discuss the report in any of its aspects, please 
be good enough to call upon us. 

Very truly yours, 


Herbert D. Brown. 
Chief Bureau of Efficiency. 

























































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


GENERAL SUMMARY OF REPORT 


PART I. STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR THE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Organic act of 1906 (p. 19 1 ).—The control of the public schools in 
the District of Columbia is vested in a Board of Education of nine 
members created by an act of Congress approved June 20, 1906. 
This act provides for the appointment of board members by the 
Supreme Court judges of the District of Columbia, and prescribes 
the organization of the board and its general duties, and the duties 
of the superintendent of schools, the assistant superintendents, and 
certain other officers. Subsequent acts have amended and supple¬ 
mented the organic act of 1906, but none of this legislation has 
affected the basic organization and administration of education in 
the District of Columbia established by that act. 

Relationship of the Board of Education to the District Commis¬ 
sioners (p. 20).—A review of the history of the public schools in 
the District of Columbia indicates that the relationship between the 
Board of Education and the commissioners, which was established 
by the act of 1906, has on the whole given general satisfaction. This 
act provides that the Board of Education shall determine school 
policies and direct expenditures in conformity therewith, and that 
the commissioners and certain other municipal officers shall serve the 
school system in the matter of the purchase of supplies and equip¬ 
ment, the acquisition of sites, the construction and repair of build¬ 
ings, the disbursement of funds, and the audit of expenditures. 

It is believed that nothing would be accomplished by a change in the 
relationship that now exists between the Commissioners of the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia and the Board of Education. However, the pro¬ 
vision of the organic act of 1906 that the annual estimates of the 
Board of Education shall be transmitted by the commissioners with 
their estimates accompanied by such recommendations as they may 
deem proper, which was repealed by the act of June 29, 1922, should 
in our opinion be reenacted. 2 (Recommendation No. 1.) In addi¬ 
tion, the responsibility of the Board of Education in the matters of 
the acquisition of school sites and the construction and repair of 
school buildings should be clearly defined by law. Land for school 
sites and school playgrounds should be purchased by the Commis- 


1 Page references are to the full report. 

3 The estimates would be submitted by the commissioners to the Bureau of the Budget In 
accordance with present practice. 


1 





2 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTPJCT OF COLUMBIA 

sioners of the District of Columbia on recommendation of the Board 
of Education. (Recommendation No. 2.) The Commissioners of 
the District of Columbia should be charged with the construction of 
all school buildings after consultation with the Board of Education 
and upon its approval of the plans and specifications. (Recommen¬ 
dation No. 3.) 

Appointment of members of the Board of Education (p. 27).—It 
is our opinion that judicial officers should not be charged with the 
administrative duty of appointing members of the Board of Educa¬ 
tion. With reference to an elective school board, the Bureau of 
Efficiency feels that the matter of the enfranchisement of the citizens 
of the District of Columbia is one wholly outside the scope of this 
investigation, for it is believed that any decision by Congress in the 
matter of an elective Board of Education would only follow the 
granting of the franchise in the District of Columbia. We believe, 
therefore, that under present conditions the best method of selection 
of members of the school board is appointment by the President of 
the United States by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 
(Recommendation No. 4.) Appointments of school-board members 
made in such a manner will have received the consideration not only 
of the President but also of the members of the congressional com¬ 
mittees on the District of Columbia, who, by reason of their re¬ 
sponsibility for recommending legislation to Congress in matters 
affecting the District of Columbia, are in close touch with the com¬ 
munity and its needs. 

PART II. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 

In Part II the organization and administration of the public- 
school system of the District of Columbia are considered under three 
heads, namely, Board of Education, executive offices, and public 
schools. The functions, duties, and personnel of the various units 
composing these major divisions are described in detail under the 
following headings: 

1. Board of Education: 

Officers (p. 29). 

Committees (p. 30). 

2. Executive offices: 

Office of the superintendent of schools (p. 32). 

Office of the first assistant superintendent (white) (p. 32). 

Office of the assistant superintendent (white) in charge of the 
organization and management of elementary schools (p. 33). 

Office of the assistant superintendent (white) in charge of instruc¬ 
tion in elementary schools (p. 33). 

Office of the assistant superintendent (white) in charge of educa¬ 
tional research (p. 33). 

Office of the first assistant superintendent (colored) (p. 34). 

Office of the assistant superintendent (colored) in charge of ele¬ 
mentary schools (p. 34)'. 

Office of the assistant superintendent (colored) in charge of educa¬ 
tional research (p. 35). 

Board of examiners (white) (p. 35). 

Board of examiners (colored) (p. 35). 

Office of business manager (p. 36). 

Office of superintendent of janitors (p. 37). 

Department of school attendance and work permits (p. 37). 

Office of statistics and publications (p. 39). 

Community center department’ (p. 39). 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


3 


3. Public schools: 

Elementary schools (p. 40). 

Special schools (p. 43). 

Vocational schools (p. 44). 

Junior high schools (p. 44). 

Senior high schools (p. 45). 

Normal schools (p. 46). 

In our opinion the plan of organization of the Washington school 
system is generally satisfactory and. under proper management, 
should adequately serve its purpose of securing an economical and 
efficient administration of the public schools. The various functions 
are for the most part logically distributed and clearly defined. We 
therefore have no radical changes to recommend, but we do feel that 
several changes should be made in order to secure a more effective 
operation of the school system. 

The following are our recommendations regarding the general or¬ 
ganization and administration of the public schools. Recommenda¬ 
tions concerning detailed methods are included in subsequent sections 
of the report relating to particular departments. 

1. The supervision of the white junior high schools should be 
transferred from the first assistant superintendent to the assistant 
superintendent in charge of the organization and management of 
elementary schools (p. 47). 

2. The authority of the supervising principals should be extended 
to include the organization of junior high schools in their respective 
divisions (p. 47). 

3. Each of the supervising principals should be provided with a 
full-time clerk (p. 48). 

4. The two positions of white and colored directors of kindergar¬ 
tens should be abolished when the present incumbents have retired 
and their duties transferred respectively to the white assistant super¬ 
intendent in charge of instruction in elementary schools and the 
colored director of primary instruction (p. 48). 

5. The authority of the colored director of primary instruction 
should be extended to include supervision of instruction in the fifth 
and sixth grades (p. 48). 

6. The clerical staff of the departments of research should be in¬ 
creased by three clerks (two for the white and one for the colored), 
in order to relieve the research teachers and supplementary teachers 
of the routine scoring tests and tabulating the results (p. 49). 

7. The staff of the department of school attendance and work per¬ 
mits should be increased by adding two attendance officers and two 
child-labor inspectors (p. 49). 

8. An enlarged statistical office should be organized and placed in 
charge of a trained statistician with two additional clerks; and the 
procurement of printing should be transferred from the office of 
statistics to the business manager’s office (p. 51). 

9. The clerical pool should be transferred from the office of the 
first assistant superintendent (white) to the office of the business 
manager (p. 51). 

10. The office of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and 
grounds should be created to which should be transferred the re¬ 
sponsibility for all work relating to the repair and alteration of 
school buildings and equipment and the supervision over the custodial 
and engineerings forces of the school system (p. 51). 


4 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

PART III. THE TEACHING STAFF 

Introduction (p. 53).—During a 10-year period from 1918 to 1927 
the average enrollment in all the public schools of Washington in¬ 
creased from 51,748 to 69,740, or 35 per cent. At the same time the 
teachers (including teaching principals) increased from 1,830 to 
2,687, or 47 per cent. There are several reasons why the number of 
teachers has increased more rapidly than the enrollment. As far 
as the elementary schools are concerned, the increase in teachers has 
resulted from— 

1. The reduction in the number of oversize classes. 

2. The establishment of small opportunity classes for slow children. 

3. The creation of a group of supplementary and research teachers for the pur¬ 

pose of testing the intelligence of children and providing individual 
instruction for those who have fallen behind in their studies. 

4. The expansion of the staff of special-subject teachers, with the addition of 

several new subjects to the curriculum. 

The large increase in the enrollment of Washington’s high schools, 
especially the junior high schools, is another reason for the increase 
in teachers during the 10-year period. The enrollment in the high- 
school grades (9-12) has increased much more rapidly than the 
enrollment in the elementary grades (1-8). Between 1918 and 1927 
the average enrollment in the high-school grades increased over 100 
per cent, as compared with an increase of only 22 per cent in the 
elementary grades. Moreover, 50 per cent of the increase in the 
elementary grades was in grades 7 and 8 of the junior high schools. 

Elementary schools (p. 64).—The teaching staff of the elementary 
schools is discussed under the following headings: Kindergartens, 
grades 1-8, special schools and classes, special-subject teachers, mis¬ 
cellaneous teachers (supplementary teachers, research teachers, and 
primary-instruction assistants), vocational schools, and platoon 
schools. The loads of these various t 3 ^pes of teachers are analyzed in 
detail and comparison is made with the loads of similar teachers in 
other cities. 

On March 11, 1927, teachers of regular-grade classes in the Wash¬ 
ington elementary schools had an average load of 36 pupils, which 
compared favorably with the loads of similar teachers in seven com¬ 
parable cities. However, when all teachers were included, Washing¬ 
ton was at the bottom of the list with an average of 27 pupils per 
teacher. The main reasons for this difference are to be found in the 
unusually large number of kindergarten teachers and special-subject 
teachers carried on the Washington rolls. 

Kindergartens (p. 65).—The average number of children enrolled 
in kindergartens has increased at a more rapid rate than the number 
of kindergartners over a 10-year period. However, in comparison 
with other cities Washington has a disproportionately large number 
of kindergartners, because they teach only one session of three hours 
a day, and two of them are usually assigned to a kindergarten. 
Double sessions are not recommended for Washington because parents 
are generally opposed to afternoon sessions, and the two-session plan 
would involve shorter sessions for individual children. But two 
kindergartners should not be assigned to a kindergarten until its en¬ 
rollment reaches 40 children. No additional kindergartners should 
be provided until such time as the present excess has been absorbed 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OP COLUMBIA 


5 


either by opening new kindergartens or by transferring to the grades 
kindergartners holding elementary-school licenses. (Recommenda¬ 
tion No. 1.) The afternoon program of kindergartners should be 
more carefully supervised so as to increase the time devoted to coach¬ 
ing primary children. (Recommendation No. 2.) 

Grades 7-5, elementary schools (p. 69).—The average number of 
pupils enrolled per elementary-school teacher of regular classes was 
36 on March 11, 1927. This average compares favorably with similar 
averages in other cities. It is our opinion that the school officials 
have attempted to organize the regular grade classes as far as prac¬ 
ticable on the basis of a standard of 40 pupils. Additional teachers 
will be required therefore to take care of the regular increase in en¬ 
rollment resulting from the natural growth of the city. (Recom¬ 
mendation No. 3.) 

Special schools and classes (p. 73).—On March 11, 1927, the aver¬ 
age number of pupils of teachers of special classes (at 3 ’pical, un¬ 
graded, open-window, health, and opportunity) wa/s 18, which com¬ 
pares favorably with the loads of similar teachers in other cities. 
Consideration should be given to the establishment of additional 
special /school centers for atypical and ungraded children with ade¬ 
quate facilities for teaching manual arts. (Recommendation No. 
4.) As opportunity offers additional open-air classes should be 
opened and a sight-conservation class should be established. (Rec¬ 
ommendation No. 5.) 

Special-subject teachers (p. 76).—Washington has an unusually 
large number of special-subject teachers. There are two types of 
special teachers, itinerant and special center. The itinerant teachers 
travel from one school to another and teach their subjects in the 
regular classrooms in the presence of the grade teachers. The special- 
center teachers teach manual arts in specially equipped rooms, and 
while pupils are attending these classes the grade teacher is without 
a class or with only part of a class. This system of special instruc¬ 
tion is unsatisfactory because it results in both a duplication of 
teacher service and a loss of instructional space, and it does not pro¬ 
vide for adequate supervision of the regular teacher’s instruction 
in the special subjects. The number of itinerant special-subject 
teachers should gradually be reduced and some form of platooning 
or departmentalization introduced in order that teachers may special¬ 
ize in those subjects for wffiich they are best fitted and that pupils 
may have the advantage of expert instruction in all subjects. (Rec¬ 
ommendation No. 6.) For purposes of supervision the itinerant 
teachers should be replaced by a much smaller number of assistants 
to the directors, who will serve as inspectors and intructors of special 
subjects in the same way that the assistants in primary instruction 
now serve for the regular subjects. (Recommendation No. 8.) 

Miscellaneous teachers (p. 80).—Miscellaneous teachers include 
supplementary teachers, research teachers, and primary instruction 
assistants. Supplementary teachers devote approximately one half 
their time to coaching backward children and the other half to assist¬ 
ing the research departments. Research teachers spend all their 
time in the administration and interpretation of intelligence tests. 
Primary instruction assistants serve as inspectors and instructors of 
grade teachers, and rate them at the end of the year on the quality 


G PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

of their work. These various types of teachers perform services 
which have for their object the improvement in the quality of teach¬ 
ing and the increase in the efficiency of instruction. 

Vocational schools (p. 82).—The teaching personnel of the voca¬ 
tional schools is supplied out of the regular allowance for elementary- 
school teachers. On account of the specialized nature of trade in¬ 
struction, classes are small and the number of teachers is therefore 
proportionately higher than in other schools. 

Platoon schools (p. 83).—Washington has one platoon school, the 
Park View, which has been in existence since 1919. The Park View 
School, however, can not be considered typical of the modern platoon 
school as operated in such cities as Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Newark. 
In the first place, the building is not well suited to its purpose, and 
in the second place the school day has not been programmed so as 
to secure a proper balance between the various work, study, and play 
activities. However, the platoon plan at Park View has indicated 
that instructional space and teacher service may be used more in¬ 
tensively under this plan. 

But aside from the financial economies claimed for the platoon 
school there is a sincere difference of opinion among educators as to 
its educational advantages. In attempting to evaluate the conflict¬ 
ing claims of the advocates and opponents of the platoon school, one 
is impressed by the theoretical nature of much of the discussion on 
the subject, especially with reference to the objections of its op¬ 
ponents. Many cities of the country have adopted the plan, and the 
United States Bureau of Education reports that “in the opinion of 
superintendents who have organized schools on the plan its rapid 
growth is due in large measure to the fact that under the plan it is 
possible, financially and administratively, to give to all children in 
a school system the opportunities for an enriched curriculum of work 
and play and study which the development of cities has made it im¬ 
perative to provide for city children.” While the experience of other 
cities is not conclusive, as far as Washington is concerned, neverthe¬ 
less, the results achieved justify us in recommending a scientific 
experiment with the platoon organization in local schools for the 
purpose of comparing both financial costs and educational results in 
platoon and nonplatoon schools. 

If an impartial study indicates that local conditions are such as 
not to justify such a radical form of reorganization, perhaps some 
modification of the platoon plan or some form of departmentaliza¬ 
tion may be developed which will achieve similar results. It is 
therefore recommended that the Board of Education undertake a 
platoon-school experiment by establishing two platoon schools, one 
white and one colored, by adapting to this purpose two of the new 
standard 16-room elementary school buildings. (Recommendation 
No. 7.) For the purpose of this experiment these two platoon 
schools should be paired with two nonplatoon schools similar in 
size and in composition of population. The educational results and 
financial costs of the two types of schools should then be measured 
and compared at regular intervals. Such an experiment extending 
over a series of years will supply the basis of fact, which is now 
lacking, for the adoption of an educational policy of the highest 
importance. 


7 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Junior high schools (p. 89).—In comparison with junior high 
school teachers in other cities, similar teachers in Washington at the 
time of our study had a low average number of pupils. The pupil- 
period loads were below the standards established by the Board of 
Education. The main reason for this condition is in our opinion the 
relatively small size of most of the junior high schools. As the 
enrollments of the junior high schools increase it should become 
possible gradually to increase the number of pupils assigned to 
teachers, so that their loads will more nearly approximate the 
standard. 

Senior high schools (p. 92).—In comparison with senior high 
school teachers in other cities, similar teachers in Washington had 
slightly less than the average number of pupils. The pupil-period 
loads were below the standards established by the Board of Educa¬ 
tion. 

Curnculum (p. 91).—As far as the curriculum is concerned 
Washington has kept pace with the nation-wide movement for 
curriculum revision. 

Efficiency of instruction (p. 94).—The departments of educa¬ 
tional research measure the results of instruction currently and 
recommend such changes in curriculum and methods as are neces¬ 
sary to improve teaching and increase learning. It is our opinion 
that the teachers are carefully selected and that the organization of 
the teaching staff is based upon sound principles. The various groups 
of workers are well balanced as far as size is concerned, and on the 
whole their efforts are satisfactorily coordinated. During recent 
years considerable thought has been given to improving the efficiency 
of supervision in the schools, but there is still room for improvement 
in this direction. The whole subject of supervision in the junior and 
senior high schools, with special reference to the duties of directors 
of special subjects and heads of departments, should be reconsidered 
in view of the experience of the past five years. (Recommendation 
No. 9.) Centralized systems of teachers’ personnel records should 
also be established in the offices of the boards of examiners. (Rec¬ 
ommendation No. 10.) 

Summary of teacher requirements 1927-28 , 1928-29 (pp. 87, 91, 
94).—Additional teachers are recommended as follows (recom¬ 
mendation No. 11) : 


Elementary schools: 

1927- 28—15 class 1A. 

1928- 29—20 class 1A. 

5class 1A (vocational schools). 


Junior high schools: 

1927- 28—12 class 2A. 

6 class 2C. 

1928- 29—11 class 2A\ 

6 class 2C / 
14 class 2A \ 
4 class 2C / 
Senior high schools: 

1927- 28—None. 

1928- 29—2 class 3A. 


whole year, 
half year. 


If our recommendations for the absorption of excess kindergartners 
by the regular grades and for the gradual replacement of teachers of 
special subjects by a smaller number of supervisors are adopted and 


8 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

made effective immediately, it will be possible to reduce the estimate 
for 1928-29 in the same amount that the number of these teachers 
can be reduced during that year. 

PART IV. THE BUILDING SITUATION 

Introduction (p. 99).—A review of the history of the develop¬ 
ment of the Washington public schools indicates that the school au¬ 
thorities have always had difficulty in procuring sufficient funds to 
meet the needs for buildings and sites occasioned by an increasing 
school enrollment and by obsolescence. This has been due, we believe, 
in large measure to the “ pay-as-you-go ” policy of financing expendi¬ 
tures of the District government, which makes impossible the con¬ 
summation of any large program of capital additions over a short 
period of time without an undue increase in the tax rate of the 
District of Columbia. 

Five-year building program (p. 105).—In view of the representa¬ 
tions made from time to time by the school authorities and the Dis¬ 
trict Commissioners relative to the acute schoolhouse situation that 
came into being during the war and postwar periods, the subcom¬ 
mittees on schools and playgrounds of the Committees on the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia in the Senate and House of Representatives made 
an inquiry into the matter, which resulted finally in the passage of 
the five-year school building program act on February 2G, 1925. The 
act authorized the purchase of land for school sites and school play¬ 
grounds in particular vicinities and the construction of buildings of 
specified capacity for elementary schools, vocational schools, junior 
high schools, and senior high schools. It was estimated at the time 
of the passage of the act that the five-year building program would 
cost $20,185,000. On this basis appropriations of $4,037,000 annually 
for five years would have been necessary to complete the program 
as planned. Appropriations applicable to the projects included in 
the five-year building program during the fiscal years 1926, 1927, and 
1928 totaled $9,257,250. At the annual rate of $4,037,000 contem¬ 
plated by the act, a total of $12,111,000 would have been necessary 
for these three years. The program will, therefore, be $2,853,750 in 
arrears at the close of the fiscal year 1928. 

Construction under five-year yrogra/ni (p. 107).—The construction 
under the 1926 and 1927 appropriations has supplied a sufficient 
number of rooms to provide accommodations for the increased ele¬ 
mentary-school enrollment during these years and to reduce by 56 
rooms the shortage which existed in 1924. It is estimated that the 
construction items included in the 1928 appropriation act will result 
in a further reduction of about 40 rooms in this shortage. With 
reference to the high-school accommodations, the net excess of 2,971 
pupils in 1924 has been reduced to 2,073 in 1927, and it is estimated 
that the construction during 1928 will reduce this excess by another 
1,000 pupils. 

Analysis of five-year building program (p. 108).—A detailed 
study of the five-year building program indicates that it was care¬ 
fully prepared with due regard to the needs of the various sections 
of the city. Some modifications will be necessary on account of 
shifts in both the white and colored populations which could not 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


9 


have been foreseen. These modifications will involve the entire elim¬ 
ination of certain items, the postponement of others, and the transfer 
of several from one division to another. 

The buildings still to be constructed under the five-year program, 
including those already appropriated for, will provide a total of 
407 elementary classrooms. On October 14, 1927, the shortage of 
schoolhouse accommodations in elementary schools was 374 rooms. 
Therefore, if the five-year building program is carried out as origin¬ 
ally planned, this shortage will practically be eliminated by the 
end of 1930, making due allowance for such additional rooms as will 
be necessary on account of increased enrollment in the fiscal years 
1929 and 1930. The proposed junior high schools will also provide 
accommodations sufficient to eliminate the congestion which still 
exists in the senior high schools. 

Summary of remaining items in five-year building 'program 

(p. 117).—A summary of the remaining land and building items 
in the five-year program indicating our opinion as to the order of 
precedence for both buildings and land is given below. These tables 
are based upon a detailed analysis of the evidences of congestion in 
the various divisions. New schools should be erected in accordance 
with needs as indicated by these evidences of congestion. (Recom¬ 
mendation No. 1.) The figure 1929 after an item indicates that it 
is carried in the 1929 Budget: 

Divisions I-IX. White 


Rank 

Division 

Buildings 

1 

I 

Grant Road, 8 rooms (1929). 

2 

I 

Reno Junior High School (and land). 

3 

V 

Park View, 8-room addition. 

4 

HI 

Fourteenth and Upshur Streets, 8 rooms (1929). 

5 

VIII 

Jefferson Junior High School (and land). 

6 

III 

Raymond, 8-room addition (1929). 

7 

IV 

Ninteenth Street and Columbia Road, 24 rooms (1929). 

8 

VIII 

Bowen, 4-room addition (1929). 

9 

III 

Brightwood Junior High School (1929). 

10 

V 

Brookland, Woodridge Junior High School (P. and S. 1929). 

11 

VI 

Kingsman Junior High School (and land). 

12 

III 

Keene, 4-room addition. 

13 

VII 

Congress Heights, 4-room addition in place of addition to Lenox. 

14 

I 

Janney, 8-room addition. 

15 

III 

Fourteenth Street and Kalmia Road, 8 rooms (P. and S. 1929). 

16 

III 

Truesdell, 4-room addition. 

17 

VII 

Buchanan, 4-room addition. 

18 

III 

Bancroft, 8-room addition. 

19 

VIII 

Fair brother, 12-room addition (and land). ' 

20 

VI 

Stuart Junior High School, addition. 

21 

III 

Macfarland Junior High School, addition. 

22 

I-IX 

Business High School. 


The proposed addition to the Kenilworth School and the building 
to replace the Abbot School are not needed and may be transferred 
to other localities. 


Rank 

Division 

Land 

1 

I 

Reno Junior High School. 

2 

VIII 

For replacement of Jefferson Junior High School. 

3 

VI 

Kingsman Junior High School. 

4 

I 

For addition to E. V. Brown School. 

5 

I 

Wesley Heights. 

6 

V 

Michigan Avenue NE. 

7 

I 

Connecticut Avenue and Upton Street. 

8 

VIII 

For addition to Fairbrother School. 























10 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The sites at Twelfth Street and Rhode Island Avenue and at Fox- 
hall Road and Calvert Street should be reconsidered. The land items 
at Sixteenth and Webster Streets and at the Lenox and Abbot 
Schools are not needed and may be transferred to other localities. 

Divisions X-XIII. Colored 


Rank 

Division 

Buildings 

1 

XII 

Health School (and land). 

2 

XIII 

Old Bell, 8 rooms (and land) (1929). 

3 

XIII 

Burrville, 8-room addition (1929). 

4 

X 

Garrison, 8-room addition (and land). 

5 

X 

Morgan, 8-room addition (1929). 

6 

X 

Francis Junior High School, addition in place of addition to the Phillips School (1929). 

7 

XIII 

Lovejoy, 8-room addition (and land). 

8 

XI 

Substitute 8 rooms in Division XI for proposed additions to Reno and Military Road. 

9 

XIII 

Lineoln-Giddings, 16 rooms (and land). 

10 

XIII 

Cardozo (Randall), 12 rooms. 

11 

XIII 

Crummell, 6-room addition. 

12 

XIII 

Syphax, 4-room addition. 

13 

XIII 

Deanwood, 8-room addition (and land). 

14 

XIII 

Birney, 8-room addition (and land). 

Rank 

Division 

Land 

1 

XII 

Health School (1929). 

2 

XIII 

For replacement of old Bell School (1929). 

3 

X 

For addition to Garrison School. 

4 

XIII 

For addition to Lovejoy School. 

5 

XIII 

For replacement of Lincoln School. 

6 

XIII 

For addition to Deanwood School. 

7 

XIII 

For addition to Birney School. 

8 

X-XIII 

For addition to Armstrong High School. 


Gymnasium-assembly halls (p. 118).—The remaining gymna¬ 
sium-assembly hall items in the five-year building program for 
schools which now have 16 or more rooms are as follows: Eaton, 
Takoma, Wheatley, Buchanan, Bruce, Garrison, Douglas-Simmons, 
Lovejoy, and Deanwood. When these have been constructed all 
schools with 16 or more rooms except Emery, Monroe, and Stevens 
will be provided either with assembly halls or combination gym¬ 
nasium-assembly halls. 

Playgrounds (p. 118).—Only 4 out of 26 playgrounds carried in 
the five-year program have been appropriated for. The remaining 
playground items are as follows: 


Division I: 

Addison School. 
Eaton School. 
Toner School. 
Jackson School. 
Division III: 

Hubbard School. 
Johnson School. 
Petworth School. 
Division Y: 

Brookland School. 
Eckington School. 
Division VI: 

Benning School. 
Ludlow School. 
Carbery School. 


Division VII: 

Cranch School. 

Ketcham-Van Buren School. 
Division X: 

Montgomery School. 

Stevens School. 
Sumner-Magruder School. 
Division XI: 

Slater-Langston School. 
Division XIII: 

Banneker School. 
Douglas-Simmons School. 
Jones School. 

Payne School. 
















PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


11 


There is no doubt about the need of additional playground space 
adjoining the above-mentioned schools. In nearly all cases the 
present playground area is considerably less than the generally ac¬ 
cepted standard of 50 square feet for each pupil regularly enrolled. 

Cost of the remaining items in the five-year building 'program 
(p. 119).—If the purpose of the five-year school building act is to 
be carried out, appropriations in the approximate amount of $11,- 
000,000 will have to be provided during the two remaining fiscal 
years of the five-year period, namely, 1929 and 1930. The 1929 
Budget contains items for buildings and grounds for the public 
schools amounting to $2,478,500, including only $95,000 for land 
covering two building sites and two playgrounds. Twenty-one site 
items and 22 playground items remain to be appropriated for, and 
unless the 1929 appropriations provide for the majority of the site 
items the school and District officials will be seriously handicapped in 
preparing a satisfactory construction program for the fiscal year 
1930. It is therefore recommended that the 1929 appropriations 
include the majority of the remaining site items in the five-year 
program. (Recommendation No. 2.) 

No recommendation is made in regard to the 125 per cent restric¬ 
tion which has been placed upon land purchases, for it is understood 
that Congress has under consideration a revision of the method of 
acquisition of land in the District of Columbia by the Federal and 
District Governments, including a change in the condemnation jury 
and court procedure. Attention is invited to the fact that in other 
large cities capital expenditures of this magnitude are usually 
financed by long-term bond issues. The District of Columbia, how¬ 
ever, has been on a “ pay-as-you-go ” fiscal basis since the establish¬ 
ment of the permanent commission form of government in 1878. 

Plans of new buildings (p. 119).—The standard plans for Wash¬ 
ington’s new school buildings conform to the plans which have been 
generally adopted by the large cities of the United States. But 
revisions will have to be made in these plans from time to time as a 
result of experience and changes in curriculum and methods. It is 
therefore recommended that two committees be appointed by the 
superintendent of schools, one for elementary schools and one for 
junior high schools, to make a continuous study of building facilities 
as they relate to educational needs. (Recommendation No. 3.) 

With reference to building specifications and actual construction 
the Bureau of Efficiency is now engaged in a survey of the office of 
the municipal architect, a report on which will be submitted later. 

Building sites (p. 120).—The remaining recommendations in Part 
III relate mainly to building sites. They are as follows: 

The selection of building sites should be based upon an analysis of 
both the school census and the enrollment reports, supplemented by 
studies of the surveys of pulic-utility companies, the volume of 
building operations, etc. (Recommendation No. 4.) 

Sites should be centrally located with reference to the districts 
which they are designed to serve, and should be relatively free from 
noise and other distractions. (Recommendation No. 5.) 

Sites should be large enough to provide adequate playground space 
and room for future expansion. (Recommendation No. 6.) 

88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-2 



12 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Small elementary school units should not be constructed when ex¬ 
tensions to existing schools will provide the additional accommoda¬ 
tions required. (Recommendation No. 7.) 

PART V. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 

Duties of business manager (p. 143).—Supervision over the busi¬ 
ness affairs of the public-school system is lodged with the business 
manager. He directs the procurement and distribution of supplies and 
equipment in accordance with the policies adopted by the educational 
officers, and supervises the preparation of pay rolls, the auditing of 
vouchers, and the maintenance of fiscal accounts and property rec¬ 
ords. The various financial statements and reports of the system 
are prepared under his supervision, and he assists the finance com¬ 
mittee of the Board of Education and the superintendent of schools 
in the preparation of the school budget. He has charge of the repair 
and alteration of buildings and the installation and replacement of 
all furniture and equipment. 

Procurement of supplies and equipment (p. 143).—The present plan 
of recommending awards in connection with the procurement of sup¬ 
plies and equipment results in duplication of effort. It involves a 
thorough independent consideration of the various proposals sub¬ 
mitted on any proposed purchase by two separate offices, namely, 
the office of the business manager and the District purchasing office. 
This objection may be overcome by establishing a board of award 
for school supplies and equipment, consisting or not less than three 
nor more than five members appointed by the commissioners, com¬ 
posed of representatives of the District purchasing office and of the 
school system, one of whom shall be the business manager. (Recom¬ 
mendation No. 1.) 

Distribution (p. 145).—No entirely satisfactory system of storage 
and distribution of supplies and equipment can be made effective for 
the public schools until adequate storage space is provided. The 
present storehouse does not contain sufficient floor space to meet the 
present needs; it is poorly arranged for storage purposes; and it is 
located off the railroad, making double handling and double truckage 
of supplies necessary. Adequate space for the receipt, inspection, 
storage, and distribution of public-school supplies should be provided 
in the proposed Government warehouse. (Recommendation No. 2.) 

Inspection (p. 145).—The inspection of supplies and equipment 
can not be placed on an entirely satisfactory basis while the present 
storehouse conditions continue to exist. Adequate facilities for 
receipt and storage would reduce to a minimum deliveries made 
direct to the schools, thus permitting of centralized and uniform 
inspection. The responsibility for the inspection of special school- 
house equipment (other than building construction items) should be 
transferred to the proposed office of assistant superintendent in 
charge of buildings and grounds. (Recommendation No. 3.) 

Fiscal accounting (p. 147).—The system of fiscal accounts in use 
in the public-school system is similar to the one maintained by the 
office of the auditor of the District of Columbia. It is generally 
satisfactory from the standpoint of supplying the necessary informa¬ 
tion to administer intelligently the several school appropriations, but 
it is believed that it can be considerably improved by the introduction 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 13 

of more modern accounting forms and procedure which have been 
successfully installed in various Federal offices during the last few 
years with the approval of the Comptroller General of the United 
States. 

Property accounting (p. 147).—The public-school system main¬ 
tains no property accounts. No personal accountability has been 
established for schoolhouse equipment valued at approximately two 
and a half million dollars which is found scattered among 16§ build¬ 
ings throughout the city. Neither are any stock records maintained 
for materials delivered to and issued from the storehouse, which 
approximate $250,000 in value annually. Some of the principals of 
the schools have established for their own information and guidance 
records covering the property located in the buildings under their 
charge, but they lack uniformity. Although nothing has come to 
our attention which would indicate any irregularities in connection 
with the receipt and distribution of supplies and equipment, still the 
absence of a property accounting control breeds carelessness and 
invites leakage. A system of property accountability should, there¬ 
fore, be established in the public-school system. (Recommendation 
No. 4.) A system of records is outlined which will not only estab¬ 
lish property accountability but will also provide considerable infor¬ 
mation in regard to the school plant and equipment which is essential 
to the effective administration of the school system. Two additional 
clerks will be required in the office of the business manager to handle 
the system. 

Accounting foi • school and activity funds (p. 149).—The office 
of the business manager should be charged with establishing the 
methods of accounting for the various school and activity funds and 
with making an examination of the transactions therein in sufficient 
detail to satisfy himself that all moneys received have been accounted 
for, that all expenditures have been regularly made, and that the bal¬ 
ance in any fund is actually on hand or on deposit. (Recommenda¬ 
tion No. 5. This recommendation does not apply to the school 
savings banks.) 

Repair and alteration of buildings (p. 150).—The responsibility 
for all work relating to the repair and alteration of school buildings 
should be transferred to the proposed office of the assistant superin¬ 
tendent in charge of buildings and grounds. (Recommendation 
No. 6.) 

Repair and. replacement of furniture and equipment (p. 151).— 
The responsibility for all Avork relating to the repair and replace¬ 
ment of furniture and equipment should be transferred to the pro¬ 
posed office of the assistant superintendent in charge of buildings 
and grounds. (Recommendation No. 7.) 

PART VI. CUSTODY OF BUILDINGS 

Duties of superintendent of janitors (p. 153).—The superintend¬ 
ent of janitors, under the general direction of the superintendent 
of schools, is responsible for the protection, cleaning, heating, and 
ventilating of all public-school buildings in the District of Columbia 
and for the care and cleaning of school grounds. He is also charged 
with the inspection of the buildings with respect to their sanitary 


14 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


condition and the operation of their heating and ventilating equip¬ 
ment, and with the moving of furniture and other school equipment. 
He personally supervises the selection, assignment, and instruction 
of all employees of the custodial force and through his assistants 
supervises their work. 

Selection of personnel (p. 154).—Employees of the custodial force 
are selected by the superintendent of janitors largely upon the basis 
of the impression made upon him by applicants for positions during 
his interview with them. No tests of any kind are employed and 
ref rences are not regularly investigated. 

Instruction of personnel (p. 155).—The instruction given em¬ 
ployees of the custodial force in their work by the superintendent of 
janitors and his assistants is negligible. The absence of instructions 
is particularly noticeable in connection with the operation of heating 
and ventilating equipment. 

Inspection (p. 156).—The custodial management has been lax in 
the performance of this important duty. No definite program of 
inspection for the system as a whole has been established, and visits 
to school buildings are made largely in connection with answering 
complaints of principals and janitors and investigating conditions 
reported by the health officers. 

Assignment of personnel (p. 157).—A careful examination of 
the assignments of custodial employees in relation to plant facilities 
indicates that the personnel for the various buildings has not been 
determined upon the basis of a thorough analysis of the needs. 

Performance . supply, and equipment standards (p. 158).—No 
studies have been made by the custodial management toward the end 
of establishing performance, supply, and equipment standards. 

Repairs to equipment (p. 159).—There are a number of minor 
jobs not generally handled by the janitors and engineers at present, 
which they could perform if given the .proper instruction and the 
necessary tool kit and supplies. 

Records and reports (p. 160).—The records kept by the super¬ 
intendent of janitors and his assistants are inadequate, and no regular 
reports are made to the superintendent of schools. 

Recommendations (p. 160).—The present custodial management 
has failed to measure up to its responsibilities in every one of its 
major functions. A change in custodial management should be made 
in order to secure an effective supervision over all matters relating to 
the custody and operation of buildings. These functions should be 
transferred from the superintendent of janitors to the proposed office 
of the assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and grounds, 
who should be a mechanical engineer or architect of proved adminis¬ 
trative ability. This official would also be charged with the respon¬ 
sibility for repairs and alterations to buildings and equipment, thus 
centralizing the direction of all activities of the school system relat¬ 
ing to the operation and maintenance of buildings, grounds, and 
equipment. 

PART VII. REPAIR AND ALTERATION OF BUILDINGS 

Repair program (p. 163).—The school buildings have not been 
kept in a satisfactory condition of repair for many years on account 
of the insufficiency of funds provided for their upkeep as well as 


15 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA 

the unsystematic methods in use for handling building-maintenance 
work. The first difficulty has been partly corrected by the increased 
appropriations granted for the fiscal years 1926, 1927, and 1928, 
which have made possible the establishment of a repair program 
that is gradually disposing of the many deferred items of building 
maintenance. There is a large amount of repair and replacement 
work still to be done before the school buildings can be considered 
in a satisfactory condition. It is our opinion that the item of $529,610 
in the 1929 budget for repairs and improvements to buildings, exclu¬ 
sive of grounds, should be granted. (Recommendation No. 1.) 
Approximately $200,000 of this amount is applicable to deferred 
maintenance, foP it is estimated that the total annual cost of main¬ 
tenance of the present physical plant of the Washington schools, 
after it has been put in a good state of repair, will bo $325,000. The 
estimates of our engineers indicate that the total deferred mainte¬ 
nance, exclusive of grounds, amounts to approximately $1,000,000. 
At an annual rate of $200,000 it will require five years, beginning 
with the fiscal year 1929, to dispose of this item. 

School grounds (p. 163).—The office of the municipal architect 
estimates that $430,000 will be required for the improvement of 
school grounds, including grading, laying of walks, surfacing of play¬ 
grounds, sodding of lawns, and setting of shrubbery. It is our 
opinion that if a program of beautification of school grounds is 
approved, it will require the estimated $430,000 for its completion. 
In any event, the $100,000 included in the 1929 budget for the im¬ 
provement of school grounds should be granted for the purpose of 
treating the grounds of several new school buildings, and of im¬ 
proving the run-down condition of grounds surrounding many old 
buildings. (Recommendation No. 2.) 

When a program of beautification of school grounds is adopted, 
a qualified landscape architect should be employed in the municipal 
architect’s office to have charge of the plan and its execution. The 
design for the treatment of the ground areas around all new District 
buildings will come under his supervision and he will act as advisor 
to the proposed assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and 
grounds in the matter of the improvement and upkeep of the school 
grounds. It would also be necessary to add a principal gardener to 
the personnel of the repair shop. 

Present organization and methods (p. 164).—The responsibility 
for making repairs to school buildings is divided between the Board 
of Education and the municipal architect. The school officials deter¬ 
mine the repair program and the municipal architect is charged 
with its execution. Ordinary repairs and minor alterations are made 
by the District repair shop, a branch of the municipal architect’s 
office, which serves the entire District government in this connection. 
As far as the work performed by the repair shop is concerned, it was 
found to be generally satisfactory. In the case of major alterations, 
plans are prepared by the office of the municipal architect in consul¬ 
tation with the school officials, and contracts are let by the commis¬ 
sioners in the same manner as with new building construction. 

An analysis of the methods of handling repairs to school build¬ 
ings indicates that the plan of maintenance is unsystematic and hap¬ 
hazard. The reports of our engineers indicate that requests are not 


16 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

being made for all necessary repairs, and that all repair items ordered 
to be executed by the school authorities are not necessary considering 
the present status of the general repair program. No regular 
inspection of buildings is made to determine actual repair needs. 

Proposed organization (p. 168).—The remedy for the present un¬ 
satisfactory condition in respect to the repair and alteration of school 
buildings lies, in our opinion, in the transfer of the entire responsi¬ 
bility for this activity to the school authorities. The direct super¬ 
vision of the work should be placed in charge of a qualified mechan¬ 
ical engineer or architect of proved administrative ability, who would 
rank as an assistant superintendent of schools, coordinate with the 
business manager, to be known as the assistant superintendent in 
charge of buildings and grounds. (Recommendation No. 3.) Super¬ 
vision over the custodial and engineering forces of the school system, 
and the work of repair and replacement of furniture should also be 
assigned to the proposed office. Under such a plan of organization, 
all the activities of the school system relating to the operation and 
maintenance of buildings, grounds, and equipment would be cen¬ 
tralized in a technically qualified, responsible school official, who 
would be in a position to use his combined forces in such a manner 
as to provide for the most economical and efficient operation and 
maintenance of the physical plant of the school sj^stem. 

PART VIII. SCHOOL HEALTH SUPERVISION 3 

Duties of medical staff.- —There were 61,191 children enrolled in 
the kindergarten and the grades, including the seventh and eighth 
grades of the junior high schools, during the school years 1925-26. 
Of this number 16,483 were actually given a physical examination. 
Of the 8,900 kindergarten and first-grade children in school only 
3,571 were examined; 92.8 per cent of these children had defects of 
one nature or another requiring medical attention. 

In addition to making physical examinations of children the 
medical inspectors are required to make sanitary surveys of the 
school buildings and grounds, medical examination of teacher appli¬ 
cants and applicants for admission to the normal schools, mentally 
retarded pupils, and applicants for child-labor permits. 

School nurses. —The school nurses assist the medical examiners, do 
follow-up work, accompany children to clinics, etc. With the large 
number of children the present staff of nurses was able to accomplish 
only a part of the work required. Of 10,806 cases referred to them, 
5,058 were completed in treatment for various conditions. 

Dental hygiene. —Of the 22,388 children examined for dental 
defects 78.6 per cent required treatment. About 30 per cent of these 
defects were corrected at the school dental clinics. 

Cost of school health supervision. —The average cost for each school 
child was only 88 cents. This sum indicates the hopeless inadequacy 
of the present organization, due to lack of both funds and apprecia¬ 
tion of effort. In 1923 in a study of 65 c'.ties of over 100,000 popula¬ 
tion there were 23 cities expending from $1 to $2 per pupil for school 
health supervision. 

Personnel and budget recommended. —An organization and budget 
are recommended to bring the school health supervision in the Dis- 


a This part of the report was prepared by the U. S. Public Health Service (pp. 171 - 175 ). 




17 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

trict of Columbia to the equal of other progressive cities. This 
budget totals $139,100, as compared with the 1926 budget of $66,145. 
It provides for additional medical examiners and nurses, a director 
of nurses and two nurse supervisors, a psychologist, a part-time 
psychiatrist, and two psychiatric social workers. 

The prescribed budget of $139,100 for 75,000 children would be 
$1.80 per pupil. It would place the school health supervision among 
the leaders but not first. It is not to be hoped that this budget will 
be approved at once, but it is the goal to be reached within five years. 


A survey of conditions affecting health and safety in the public 
schools of the District of Columbia was also made by the United 
States Public Health Service. A summary of the findings is ap¬ 
pended because they have a direct bearing on the general subject of 
health supervision. 

The school buildings of the District are subject to much improve¬ 
ment. The essential features which can be remedied now are: 

1. Glass window-board ventilators for all classrooms with sash windows. 

2. Reliable thermometers, properly placed, in each classroom. 

3. The instruction of teachers in the principles of ventilating their rooms. 

4. The replacement of worn-out classroom furniture. 

5. The proper equipment of windows with shades and instruction in their use. 

G. The painting of walls and ceilings of classrooms at more frequent intervals. 

7. The furnishing of slate blackboards and limiting them to the front wall 

and right wall of the grade rooms. 

S. Smooth hardwood lloors in all rooms used for kindergartens and first 
grades. 

9. Toilet and lavatory facilities for kindergarten children. 

10. Hard surfacing of sufficient area about the school building for restricted 
play in wet weather. 

11. Ample number of drinking fountains. 

12. Ample number and satisfactory placing of lavatory facilities. 

For future planning the following important features should 
'receive consideration: 

1. Sufficient playground area to give each pupil the minimum of 50 square 
feet. 

2. Modern heating plant. 

3. All new school plans to receive the examination and approval of the chief 
of the health supervision and medical inspection of schools. 

4. The ample provision in school buildings for teachers’ rest rooms, medical 
examination rooms, and children’s rest rooms in each building. 

5. Special buildings for atypical children now housed in makeshift, over¬ 
crowded buildings. 

There are four appendices to the report, as follows: 

Appendix A: History of the Washington public schools. 

Appendix B: Proposed reorganization bill approved by the Board of Educa¬ 
tion, June 11, 1924. 

Appendix C: Report of a survey of the heating and ventilating systems of the 
District public schools, prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines. 

Appendix D: Report of a survey of conditions affecting health and safety in 
the public schools of the District of Columbia, prepared by the United States 
Public Health Service. 

Herbert H. Rapp, 
Paul L. Rapp. 

United States Bureau of Efficiency, 

Washington, D. 6'., January 3 , 1028. 






























































PART I 


STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR THE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The control of the public schools in the District of Columbia is 
vested in a Board of Education of nine members created by an act 
of Congress approved June 20, 1906. (34 Stat. L., 316.) This act 

provides as follows: 

Membership of the Board. 

The board shall consist of nine members, all of whom shall have 
been for five years immediately preceding their appointment bona 
fide residents of the District of Columbia, and three of whom shall be 
women. The members of the board, who shall serve without com¬ 
pensation, shall be appointed by the supreme court judges of the 
District of Columbia for terms of three years each and shall be 
eligible for reappointment. 1 Vacancies for unexpired terms, caused 
by death, resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled by the supreme 
court judges. 

Organization and Meetings. 

The board shall appoint a secretary, who shall not be a member 
of the board. It shall hold stated meetings at least once a month 
during the school year and such additional meetings as it may from 
time to time determine. All meetings of the board shall be open to 
the public, except committee meetings dealing with the appointment 
of teachers. 

General Duties of the Board. 

The board shall determine all questions of general policy relating 
to the schools, appoint the executive officers provided for in the act, 
define their duties, and direct expenditures. All expenditures of 
public funds for school purposes shall be made and accounted for as 
provided by law under the direction and control of the Commis¬ 
sioners of the District of Columbia, 

The board shall transmit annually on the first day of October to 
the Commissioners of the District of Columbia an estimate in detail 
of the amount of money required for the public schools for the ensu¬ 
ing year, and the commissioners shall transmit the same in their 
annual estimate of appropriations for the District of Columbia, with 
such recommendations as they may deem proper. (This provision 
was repealed by the act of June 29, 1922, which made a change in the 
manner of financing the expenditures of the District of Columbia, 

1 The original appointments under the act were required to be made 3 for 1 year, 
3 for 2 years, and 3 for 3 years. 


19 




20 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

whereby the school estimates are made a part of the budget of the 
commissioners, subject to their review and revision.) 

The board shall appoint all teachers and all other employees pro¬ 
vided for in the act. No appointment, promotion, transfer, or dis¬ 
missal of any director, supervising principal, principal, head of 
department, teacher, or any other subordinate to the superintendent 
of schools shall be made by the Board of Education except upon the 
written recommendation of the superintendent of schools. 

Superintendent of Schools. 

The board shall appoint one superintendent for all the public 
schools in the District of Columbia, who shall hold office for a term 
of three years, and who shall have the direction of and supervision 
in all matters pertaining to the instruction in all the schools under 
the Board of Education. He shall have a seat on the board and the 
right to speak on all matters before the board, but not the right 
to vote. The board shall have the power to remove the superin¬ 
tendent at any time for adequate cause affecting his character and 
efficiency as superintendent. 

Assistant Superintendents of Schools. 

The board, upon the written recommendation of the superintend¬ 
ent of schools, shall appoint one white assistant superintendent for 
the white schools and one colored assistant superintendent for the 
colored schools. The white assistant superintendent, under the direc¬ 
tion of the superintendent of schools, shall have general supervision 
over the white schools, and the colored assistant superintendent, 
under the direction of the superintendent of schools, shall have sole 
charge of all teachers, classes, and schools in which colored children 
are taught. (The amendatory act of June 4, 1924, changed the 
designation of these superintendents to first assistant superin¬ 
tendents.) 

The act also provides for certain other officers and for two boards 
of examiners, a classification of teachers by grade, the manner of 
qualifying for positions under the act, and a salary schedule. 

Since the passage of the organic act in 1906 Congress has passed 
the following legislation relating to the public schools: A child 
labor law, on May 28, 1908; a teachers’ retirement law, on January 
15, 1920 (amended June 11, 1926); a teachers’ pay law amending 
the salary schedules established in the 1906 act, on June 4, 1924; a 
compulsory school attendance law, on February 4, 1925; and a five 
year school building program law, on February 26, 1925. The an¬ 
nual school appropriation acts have also at times carried legislative 
provisions, but none of this legislation has affected the basic organiza¬ 
tion and administration of education in the District of Columbia 
established by the organic act of 1906. 

Relationship of the Board of Education to the District Commissioners. 

Section 2 of the organic act of 1906 establishing the public-school 
system for the District of Columbia provides as follows: 

The control of the public schools of the District of Columbia is hereby vested 
in a Board of Education. * * * 

The board shall determine all questions of general policy relating to the 
schools, shall appoint the executive officers hereinafter provided for, define 
their duties, and direct expenditures. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 21 

However, this section also contains the following provision: 

All expenditures of public funds for such school purposes shall be made 
and accounted for as now provided by law under the direction and control 
of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. * * * 

The duties imposed upon the board of education and upon the 
Commissioners of the District of Columbia by this language appear 
to be conflicting. In order to determine the intent of the law, there¬ 
fore, it is necessary to review the history of the public schools in the 
District of Columbia prior to the passage of the organic act. 2 

The public schools of the District of Columbia have always been a 
part of the municipal government, although the several bodies 
charged with the administration of the school system at various 
times have had certain duties imposed upon them specifically by law. 

The first board of 13 school trustees established for the city of 
Washington under the original municipal form of government com¬ 
posed of a mayor and city council was granted broad powers of 
administration over the school system by an act of the city council 
in 1804. The “ superintendence ” of schools was placed under the 
direction of the board, and it was empowered to pass all necessary 
by-laws, to receive donations, and to vest and apply the funds placed 
under its care in such manner as it saw fit. The membership of the 
board was at first partially chosen by joint ballot of the two houses 
of the council, an elective body, and partially by individuals who had 
contributed to the support of the schools. Later, in 1818, the election 
by contributors was discontinued, and all members were chosen by 
joint ballot of the city council. 

A review of the proceedings relating to the schools during their 
development under the municipality indicates that the municipal 
officers and the board of school trustees uniformly cooperated to the 
fullest extent in the advancement of the public schools. During the 
period 1805-1844 the growth of the school system was retarded on 
account of the odium which had been brought upon the schools by 
the requirement that free education be offered only to the poor, and 
to the insufficiency of funds provided by the city council for school 
support. However, as a result of the demand of the community 
for a change, the continued recommendations of the mayor for a 
more liberal policy, and the sympathetic interest of a leading council¬ 
man, the school system was reorganized by an act of the city council 
of December 6, 1844. A board of 13 trustees was provided for, 
composed of 3 persons elected annually, by joint ballot of the 
2 boards of the city council from each of the 4 school districts 
into which the city was divided, and the mayor of the city as presi¬ 
dent ex officio. The control of the schools was vested in the board 
by this act, and it was granted the same broad authority in regard 
to the administration of school affairs which had been provided in 
earlier acts. 

The reorganization of 1844 marks a new area in the operation of 
the public schools of Washington. In 1848 the first direct school tax 
was levied, and from that time forward the city council was liberal 
in its support of the schools, supplementing the school fund by 
means of appropriations from other revenues. It was in this year 


5 A more detailed history will be found in Appendix A. 



22 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


also that the city council abolished all tuition fees in the schools, 
thereby adopting the policy of universal eligibility of white children. 

On November 12, 1858, the city council passed an act which pro¬ 
vided that the members of the board of school trustees should be 
appointed annually by the mayor, by and with the advice and consent 
of the board of aldermen, and enlarged the powers of the board, 
making them more definite, but not materially changing the organiza¬ 
tion as established in 1844. The board consisted of three persons 
from each of the four school districts of the city and the mayor as 
president ex officio. 

The act of 1858 vested the management of all the public schools 
in the city of Washington in the board of school trustees. The 
board was empowered to appoint and remove at pleasure all teachers, 
to prescribe the courses of study and the books to be used in the 
schools, to execute such by-laws and rules and regulations for the 
management of the schools as it might deem necessary or proper, 
and to determine upon and transact all business relating to the 
schools, in accordance with its by-laws and regulations and subject 
to the laws of the municipal corporation. It was required to furnish 
annually to the city council estimates of the amounts necessary 
to meet the expenses of the schools for the following year, and to 
report annually to the two houses of the city council, giving a full 
account of the proceedings for the preceding year. Practical super¬ 
vision over the schools was also provided for by means of sub-boards 
composed of divisions of the board, one sub-board for each school 
district. 

In 1869 the city council provided for the appointment bv the mayor, 
by and with the advice and consent of the aldermen, of a superin¬ 
tendent of public schools to have general supervision over the schools 
under rules established by the board of trustees. 

By an act of Congress of February 21, 1871, the separate govern¬ 
ments of the cities of Washington and Georgetown and of the county 
of Washington were abolished and a government for the District 
of Columbia established, similar in organization to that provided for 
the Territories of the United States, composed of a territorial 
governor and a legislative assembly. The transition to another form 
of government did not change the organization of the board of 
trustees of the Washington public school system, nor the authority 
of its superintendent. In fact, the superintendent’s jurisdiction was 
extended to include the Georgetown and Washington County schools. 
Separate boards of trustees continued to function, however, for the 
Washington schools, the Georgetown schools, and the Washington 
County schools. Moreover, in 1873, Congress transferred to the 
territorial government the control of the colored schools of Washing¬ 
ton and Georgetown, which had previously been vested in a board of 
trustees appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The board of 
trustees for the colored schools was continued, however, as was also 
their superintendent. Consequently at the beginning of 1874 the 
school system consisted of four boards of trustees and two superin¬ 
tendents. 

The territorial form of government for the District of Columbia 
was abolished by an Act of Congress approved June 20, 1874. In 
its stead was established a commission form of government under 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


23 


which the executive authority was vested in three commissioners, 
and the legislative functions were reserved by Congress to itself. 
1 his form of government was considered merely as a temporary 
expedient at the time it was established, but by an act of June li, 
1878, Congress made it permanent with few alterations. This act 
transferred the powers and duties of the board of school trustees to 
the commissioners and provided for the appointment of a new board 
of 19 school trustees who were to serve for such terms as the 
commissioners might fix. 

Soon after the first board of commissioners came into office in 
1874, it ordered the replacement of the four boards of school trustees 
by one board composed of 19 members, 5 of whom were colored. 
Eleven members were chosen from the city of Washington, three from 
the city of Georgetown, and five from the county of Washington. 
The two superintendencies were retained, however, one for the white 
schools and one for the colored schools. 

During the existence of the territorial government, and the first 
commission government, the schools of the District of Columbia con¬ 
tinued their healthy growth and development as a result of the 
combined efforts of the officials of the new District of Columbia 
government and the boards of school trustees. In fact, the har¬ 
monious relations between these two groups of officials continued to 
exist until the creation of the permanent commission government in 
1878. 

Shortly after the passage of the act of 1878, difficulties arose in 
connection with the administration of the schools. Supervision over 
the operation of the school system was assigned by the board of com¬ 
missioners to one of its civilian members, who exercised a control 
over the schools similar to that maintained by the commissioners 
over the other departments of the municipal government. This 
virtually resulted in a one-man control over the schools, since it is 
customary for the commissioners to accept the recommendations of 
their associates in connection with the routine operation of the 
departments specifically assigned to them. The commissioners ap¬ 
pointed the members of the board of trustees with such terms as they 
themselves fixed and likewise appointed the two superintendents, 3 
who operated practically independently of the trustees. Moreover, 
the powers of the board of trustees were indefinite, for, although the 
act of 1878 creating the board provided that it should have the duties 
in regard to the care and management of the schools authorized by 
existing law, it was held by the attorney for the District of Columbia 
by an opinion rendered the commissioners under date of September 
25, 1883, that the powers of the board were subordinated to the gen¬ 
eral control over schools vested by the act in the commissioners. He 
said: 

The appointment of the board does not divest the commissioners of the 
power which the law assigns to it. The trustees are an agency the law itself 
designates as proper to be employed to care for and manage the schools, and 
so long as the board exists this share of the commissioners’ duties are by it 
performed, but in subordination to the common head of the District govern¬ 
ment, which can overrule the action of the board in any given case, and may 
abolish the board itself. 


3 One in charge of the white schools and one in charge of the colored schools. 



24 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTFJCT OF COLUMBIA 


In addition to the duties which the law by its own action invests the trus¬ 
tees with, it is competent for the commissioners to delegate to them the residue 
of their powers and duties under the act which expressly authorizes such 
action. 4 

The commissioners did not, however, delegate the powers involving 
the control of the schools to the board of trustees. Consequently , 
the indefiniteness of the authority of the commissioners and of the 
board of trustees, as well as that of the superintendents, brought to 
an end the smooth operation of the system that had prevailed dur¬ 
ing the periods of the city government, the territorial government, 
and the first commission form of government. Dissatisfaction arose, 
criticism was heard, and in 1900, after an investigation by the 
Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, the law was changed. 

The act of June 6, 1900, provided for a board of education com¬ 
posed of seven members appointed by the Commissioners of the 
District of Columbia for terms of seven years, except for the first 
appointments which were made in such a manner as to have one 
term of office terminate each year. Compensation of the members 
of the board was authorized at the rate of $10 for each meeting per¬ 
sonally attended, but the total for any one member for a year was 
not to exceed $500. 

The board was granted complete jurisdiction over all adminis¬ 
trative matters connected with the public schools, except that all 
expenditures of public funds for school purposes were to be made 
and accounted for under the direction and control of the Commis¬ 
sioners of the District of Columbia. Specific power was granted to 
the board to appoint a superintendent of schools and two assistant 
superintendents, one of whom, under the direction of the superin¬ 
tendent, was to have charge of schools for colored children. The 
board was further empowered to employ and remove all teachers,, 
officers, and other employees connected with the school system. 
Finally, the board was required to transmit annually to the Commis¬ 
sioners of the District of Columbia an estimate in detail of the amount 
of money required for the public schools for the ensuing year, which 
the commissioners included in their annual estimate of appropria¬ 
tions for the District of Columbia with such recommendations as 
they deemed proper. 

It is interesting to note how closely the powers granted this newly 
created Board of Education conform to those with which the board 
of school trustees was clothed by the city council in 1858 (see p. 22), 
and by virtue of which the schools were smoothly and effectively 
operated until 1878. 

Attention is invited to the fact that although complete jurisdic¬ 
tion over all administrative matters connected with the schools was 
vested in the Board of Education by the act of 1900, all expenditures 
of public funds for school purposes were to be made and accounted 
for under the direction and control of the commissioners. It is our 
opinion that Congress by this requirement did not intend in any way 
to restrict the Board of Education in its determination of school 
policies and in its direction of school expenditures in connection 
therewith, but that it had in mind solely: (1) The direction of expend- 


4 Letter of A. G. Riddle, attorney for the District of Columbia, to the commissioners, 
September 25, 1883. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 25 

itures from the standpoint of the actual purchase of supplies and 
equipment required by the Board of Education, the acquisition of 
school sites, and the construction and repair of school buildings; and 
(2) the control of expenditures by audit and by disbursement. The 
'commissioners and other municipal officers were charged with these 
functions for the entire municipal government, and apparently Con¬ 
gress saw no good reason, although the suggestion was made, for 
duplicating the administrative machinery which had been set up to 
discharge them. 

The school system had not been operating long under the Board 
of Education created in 1900, when criticism was heard, aimed par¬ 
ticularly at the board itself on account of its activities in connec¬ 
tion with the details of professional supervision over the schools. 
It was at this time, too, that a movement throughout the country 
to divorce school systems from municipal governments was gaining 
momentum, and representations were made to Congress that an 
independent Board of Education for the District of Columbia was 
desirable, whose members should be appointed by the President, by 
. and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 

Hearings were held by the Senate and House Committees on the 
District of Columbia in 1906 on the subject of the proposed changes 
in the administration of school affairs, which resulted in the pas¬ 
sage of the act of June 20, 1906, establishing the public-school sys¬ 
tem in the District of Columbia as it exists to-day. (See pp. 19-20.) 
By this act Congress definitely placed the determination of school 
'policies in the Board of Education, making it effectually a legis¬ 
lative body in the matter of school affairs, and made the superin¬ 
tendent the chief school executive charged with the duty of put¬ 
ting those policies into effect. At the same time any possibility 
- of control over school affairs by the municipal officers of the District 
of Columbia was removed by the transfer of the power of appoint¬ 
ment of the members of the Board of Education from the commis¬ 
sioners to the Supreme Court judges of the District of Columbia. 

Notwithstanding the great volume of opinion offered the com¬ 
mittee by various groups and individuals favoring the complete 
divorcement of the school system from the municipal government, 
Congress did not see fit to make such a change, and continued the 
relationship between the Board of Education and the Commission¬ 
ers, which had been established by the act of 1900. That is, while 
the Board of Education determines school policies and directs ex¬ 
penditures in conformity therewith, the commissioners and certain 
. other municipal officers serve the school system in the matter of the 
purchase of supplies and equipment, the acquisition of sites, the con¬ 
struction and repair of buildings, the -disbursement of funds, and the 
audit of expenditures. For the discharge of these functions ma¬ 
chinery exists in the municipal government. 

Recommendations. 

It is believed that nothing would be accomplished by a change in 
the relationship that now exists between the Commissioners of the 
District of Columbia and the Board of Education. However, the 
provision of the organic act of 1906 that the annual estimates of 
the Board of Education shall be transmitted by the commissioners 
with their estimates accompanied by such recommendations as they 


26 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


may deem proper, which was repealed by the act of June 29, 1922, 
should in our opinion be reenacted. 5 In addition, the responsibility 
of the Board of Education in the matters of the acquisition of school 
sites and the construction and repair of school buildings should be 
clearly defined by law. 

The present organization of the school system, whereby the Board 
of Education determines school policies and the superintendent exe¬ 
cutes them, is in accordance with the best practice in city school 
administration, while the policy of having the so-called service de¬ 
partments of the municipal government serve the schools is based 
upon sound business management. The argument which is generally 
advanced in support of the divorcement of the school system from the 
municipal government, namely, that the schools must be protected 
from the exploitation and neglect which is possible under a local 
political control of municipal affairs, does not, in our opinion, hold 
good for the District of Columbia with its commission form of gov¬ 
ernment. The Board of Education and the school officers themselves 
are apparently of that belief, for the bill which they were instru¬ 
mental in having submitted in Congress in 1925, providing for a 
Board of Education, independent of the commissioners, proposed 
that the purchasing officer, the auditor, and the disbursing officer of 
the District of Columbia should also act as officers of the Board of 
Education in their respective capacities. 6 They also proposed that 
land for school sites and school playgrounds should continue to be 
acquired by the commissioners, but upon the recommendation of the 
Board of Education, and that the commissioners should continue to 
be charged with the construction of all school buildings and with the 
alteration, repair, and improvement to buildings, but only after 
consultation with and approval by the Board of Education of the 
plans and specifications. 

The present fiscal plan of the District of Columbia provides that 
the various departments of the municipal government, including the 
school system, submit their annual estimates of appropriations to 
the commissioners, who review and revise them and prepare the 
final estimates for the entire District government for submission to 
the Bureau of the Budget. We believe that under this plan there is 
n danger that the schools may suffer in favor of other departments 
for whose activities the commissioners are directly responsible. This 
condition may be overcome by the reenactment of the provision con¬ 
tained in the organic act of 1906, repealed in 1922, whereby the 
school estimates were required to be transmitted by the commissioners 
with their estimates accompanied by such recommendations as they 
might deem proper. 

In connection with the construction of school buildings the present 
law requires that the plans and specifications therefor shall be pre¬ 
pared under the supervision of the municipal architect, after con¬ 
sultation with the Board of Education, and shall be approved by the 
commissioners. The commissioners are also empowered to purchase 
land for school sites and school playgrounds under their general 
authority to acquire all real property for the use of the District of 


6 The estimates would be submitted by the commissioners to the Bureau of the Budget 
in accordance with present practice. 

0 See Appendix B for a copy of the bill, H. R. 11404, 6Sth Cong., 2d sess. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 27 

Columbia. During recent years the commissioners have cooperated 
to the fullest extent with the Board of Education in the planning of 
school buildings and in the purchase of school sites and playgrounds. 
However, it is believed desirable that the responsibility of the Board 
of Education in these matters be definitely established by legislation 
providing that land for school sites and school playgrounds shall b« 
purchased by the commissioners on recommendation of the Board of 
Education, and that the commissioners shall be charged with the 
construction of all school buildings after consultation with the Board 
of Education and upon its approval of the plans and specifications. 
The responsibility for the repair and alteration of school buildings, 
with the exception of major projects requiring architectural services, 
should in our opinion be transferred to the school authorities. This 
subject is discussed fully under recommendation No. 10 of Part II. 

It is believed that the independence proposed in its reorganiza¬ 
tion bill will be granted the Board of Education by these simple pro¬ 
visions, namely, (1) the submission to the Bureau of the Budget for 
its consideration of the original estimates of the Board of Education, 
and (2) the clear definition of the responsibility of the Board of Edu¬ 
cation in connection with the purchase of school sites and playgrounds 
and the construction of school buildings. Moreover, under such a 
plan the school officials would not be subject to the difficulties of ad¬ 
ministration inherent in the board’s proposal, whereby the auditor, 
the purchasing officer, and the disbursing officer of the District of 
Columbia, who are appointees of the commissioners, would act in 
their respective capacities as subordinates of an independent board 
of education. 

In regard to the manner of appointment of the members of the 
Board of Education, it is held by many of the citizens that the ex¬ 
perience of the last 10 years in the District of Columbia has proven 
that a board appointed by Federal judges is not apt to be responsive 
to the wishes of the community. It is claimed that judges, by the 
very nature of their calling, dissociate themselves from any active 
interest in municipal affairs, and that therefore they are not in a posi¬ 
tion to select those citizens who are best qualified for the important 
and responsible duties of members of the Board of Education. We 
believe that there is a measure of truth in this statement. Aside 
from this consideration, however, it is our opinion that judicial 
officers should not be charged with administrative duties, and for this 
reason, if for no other, the method of appointment should be changed. 

An elective board has been agitated during the last few years. In 
fact, a bill, known as the Gasque bill (H. R. 58), providing for 
the establishment of such a board was submitted in the Sixth-ninth 
Congress, first session, and extensive hearings were held thereon by 
the subcommittee on Elective Franchise and Education of the Com- 
mitee on the District of Columbia. Elective boards, composed for 
the most part of members elected at large, are in control of the 
school affairs of a great majority of the cities in this country to-day. 
However, there is a tendency among the larger cities toward the 
adoption of the short ballot, which results in placing the respon¬ 
sibility for the conduct of a municipality’s affairs in a few elective 
officials who make all appointments, including members of the 


88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-3 



28 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

school board. Regardless of the merits of an elective school board, 
the Bureau of Efficiency feels that the matter of the enfranchise¬ 
ment of the citizens of the District of Columbia is one wholly out¬ 
side the scope of this investigation, for it is believed that any decision 
by Congress in the matter of an elective board of education would 
only follow the granting of the franchise in the District of Columbia. 

The question then arises as to whether there is available any other 
method of appointment of the members of the board of education in 
the District of Columbia which would meet the objections to the 
present method. We believe such a method is appointment b} the 
President of the United States by and with the advice and consent 
of the Senate. Appointments of school board members made m 
such a manner will have received the consideration not only of the 
President but also of the members of the Congressional Committees 
on the District of Columbia, who, by reason of their responsibility 
for recommending legislation to Congress in matters affecting the 
District of Columbia, are in close touch with the community and its 
needs. 

In conclusion, therefore, it is recommended that: 

1. The annual estimates of appropriations of the Board of Educa¬ 
tion of the District of Columbia should be transmitted to the 
Bureau of the Budget by the commissioners with their estimates 
accompanied by such recommendations as they may deem proper. 

2. Land for school sites and school playgrounds should be pur¬ 
chased by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia on recom¬ 
mendation of the Board of Education. 

3. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia should be 
charged with the construction of all school buildings after consulta¬ 
tion with the Board of Education and upon its approval of the plans 
and specifications. 

4. The members of the Board of Education of the District of 
Columbia should be appointed by the President of the United States 
by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 


PART II 


ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 


The Board of Education. 

The Board of Education determines the policies of the school 
system and elects the superintendent of schools. It consists of nine 
members appointed under the law by the judges of the Supreme 
Court of the District of Columbia. 

For the purpose of organization the board has established the 
following officers and standing committees of three members each: 

President of the board. 

Vice president of the board. 

Secretary of the board. 

Standing committees: 

(1) Finance; (2) legislation; (3) rules; (4) personnel; (5) 
buildings, grounds, and equipment; (6) athletics and play¬ 
grounds; (7) community use of buildings; (8) complaints and 
appeals. 

The president and vice president, who are elected annually at the 
board’s first meeting in July, must be members of the board, while 
the secretary, who is not a member of the board but whose position is 
established by law, is elected by the board and continues in service 
during good behavior and efficiency. 

The duties of the officer^ and standing committees are as follows: 

The president of the board presides at the meetings of the board 
and appoints all committees. The members of the standing com¬ 
mittees are designated by the president within 10 days after his 
election and continue until their successors are appointed. Special 
committees are appointed as the occasion requires, and unless other¬ 
wise ordered they cease to exist upon the performance of the special 
duty to which they are assigned. The president is ex officio a mem¬ 
ber of all committees and is privileged to vote at all meetings of 
committees. 

The vice president of the board acts as, and performs the duties 
of, president in the absence of the latter or at his request. 

The secretary of the board is the custodian of all the records 
of the board; he keeps a journal of its proceedings, certifies aR 
pay rolls and requisitions for supplies and equipment, conducts the 
general correspondence of the board, and performs such other duties; 
pertaining to hijs office as are from time to time required of him by- 
the board or its president. 

The superintendent of schools has a seat in the board under the 
law and the right to speak on all matters before the board, but 
not the right to vote. His duties are described in detail in the next 
section of this report. 


29 



30 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The committee on finance is charged with the consideration of all 
matters relating to the accounts and financial administration of the 
school system, including the preparation, after consultation with the 
superintendent of schools, of the annual estimates for the mainte¬ 
nance of the schools. It is the duty of the committee also to represent 
the board, with the president, in all such matters before the commis¬ 
sioners, the Bureau of the Budget, and Congress. 

The committee on legislation has charge of all legislation affect¬ 
ing the schools other than appropriations. It is the duty of the com¬ 
mittee to prepare measures providing for new legislation, and to 
follow such legislation through Congress. 

The committee on rules submits to the board such changes in and 
amendments to the rules and by-laws as it may from time to time 
deem necessary, and considers and reports upon such amendments 
as may be referred to it by the board. The committee is required 
to submit copies of any proposed changes in the rules and by-laws to 
each member of the board at least one week before said changes are 
to be acted upon. 

The committee on personnel is charged with general supervision 
over all matters of policy affecting the employees of the school 
system. Nominations made by the superintendent of schools for the 
appointment of candidates to supervisory and administrative posi¬ 
tions and recommendations for promotion or reduction of such em¬ 
ployees are made to this committee, which transmits them to the 
board at the next meeting with recommendations as to approval or 
disapproval. 

The committee on buildings, grounds, and equipment is charged 
with supervision over all matters relating to the physical properties 
of the schools. All matters coming before the board relating to the 
selection of sites, the sanitary, heating, lighting, and ventilating 
equipment of school buildings, plans for the erection, repair, improve¬ 
ment, or furnishing of any school building are referred to this com¬ 
mittee. The committee is also required to report from time to time 
on the condition of the buildings under the control of the board, and 
to make recommendations for whatever may be required for the con¬ 
venience, health, and comfort of the pupils, and the preservation of 
the property. 

The committee on athletics and playgrounds is charged with the 
supervision over all matters relating to military organizations and 
instruction, athletics, and playgrounds. 

The committee on community use of buildings has charge of all 
matters relating to the use of school buildings and premises by com¬ 
munity centers and all organizations outside the schools. It is re¬ 
quired to formulate the rules and regulations for the use of public- 
school buildings or property and to submit such rules and regulations 
for the approval of the board. All requests for permission to use 
school property not covered by such rules are referred to this com¬ 
mittee for recommendation to the board. 

The committee on complaints and appeals receives from the super¬ 
intendent of schools all complaints and appeals affecting the em¬ 
ployees of the board which have not been satisfactorily adjusted. 
Appeals addressed to the Board of Education are also considered by 
the committee and transmitted to the board with recommendations. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 31 

The reports of committees are required to be in writing and must 
be signed by all the members who concur therein. Unless otherwise 
ordered, committees are required to report at the next stated meeting 
on all matters referred to them by the board. 

Meetings of the board are held as follows: 

The stated meet.ngs are held on the first and third Wednesdays of 
each month during the school year at 3.30 o’clock in the afternoon. 

Special meetings may be called by the president or in response to 
a request made by at least three members of the board, and the object 
of the special meeting must be stated in the call. 

All meetings of standing committees are held at the call of their 
respective chairmen. 

The following is the order of business of the board: 

1. Calling of roll. 

2. Reading of journal. 

3. Commun: cations received by the board. 

4. Reports of superintendent of schools. 

5. Reports of standing committees. 

G. Reports of special committees. 

7. Unfinished business. 

8. New business. 

9. Adjournment. 

The offices of the Board of Education are located in the Franklin 
Administration Building. In addition to the secretary, its staff con¬ 
sists of one stenographer, four clerks, and a messenger. 

THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES 

Introduction. 

Separate schools are provided by law for white and colored chil¬ 
dren in the District of Columbia. Although there is only one Board 
of Education and one superintendent of schools, the white and col¬ 
ored school systems have separate boards of examiners and are vir¬ 
tually autonomous under their resjiective first assistant superintend¬ 
ents. However, the entire school system, both white and colored, is 
served by the same central service establishments, including the office 
of business manager, the office of superintendent of janitors, the 
department of school attendance and work permits, and the com¬ 
munity center department. 

The administrative organization of the public schools of the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia is composed of the following units: 

Office of the superintendent of schools. 

Office of the first assistant superintendent (white). 

Office of the assistant superintendent (white) in charge of the 
organization and management of elementary schools. 

Office of the assistant superintendent (white) in charge of instruc¬ 
tion in elementary schools. 

Office of the assistant superintendent (white) in charge of educa¬ 
tional research. 

Office of the first assistant superintendent (colored). 

Office of the assistant superintendent (colored) in charge of ele¬ 
mentary schools. 

Office of the assistant superintendent (colored) in charge of educa¬ 
tional research. 


32 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Board of examiners (white). 

Board of examiners (colored). 

Office of business manager. 

Office of superintendent of janitors. 

Department of school attendance and work permits. 

Office of statistics and publications. 

Community-center department. 

(See attached organization chart opposite.) 

Office of the Superintendent of Schools. 

The superintendent of schools is the chief executive officer of the 
board of education and directs the administration of the school sys¬ 
tem in accordance with the laws of Congress and the by-laws, rules, 
and orders of the Board of Education. He is elected by the board 
for a term of three years, but he may be removed at any time tor 
adequate cause affecting his character and efficiency as superintendent 
by a majority vote of the board. 

“ As chairman of the boards of examiners the superintendent exam- 
ines into the fitness of all applicants for positions in the public 
schools. He nominates all officers and teachers, recommends all pro¬ 
motions, demotions, transfers and dismissals, and reports on the con¬ 
tinued fitness of all school employees. Within certain limitations 
laid down by the rules of the Board of Education the superintendent 
prescribes the duties and directs the work of all officers, teachers, and 
others subordinate to him. 

The superintendent is charged with the enforcement of the com¬ 
pulsory education laws and the issuance of work permits. He is 
responsible for preparing complete courses of study to be pursued in 
the various schools and for submitting them to the Board of Educa¬ 
tion for approval. He is also required to prepare annually a list of 
suitable textbooks for submission to the Board of Education. 

From time to time the superintendent reports to the Board of 
Education on the condition of the buildings, books, and all other 
school property. At the close of the school year he submits a 
written report to the Board of Education describing the school 
activities of the year and making necessary recommendations. He 
also assembles annually for the Board of Education and its finance 
committee such information relating to the needs of the public- 
school system as he deems necessary for the preparation of the school 
estimates. 

Office of the First Assistant Superintendent (White). 

The first assistant superintendent in charge of white schools is 
the superintendent’s chief deputy in that branch of the school sys¬ 
tem. In the absence of the superintendent he acts as his deputy in 
all matters not especially delegated by act of Congress to the super¬ 
intendent or to the colored first assistant superintendent of schools. 
He has general direction and supervision over all employees, classes, 
and schools in which white pupils are taught. He has immediate 
charge of the supervision of instruction, organization, and manage¬ 
ment of the white vocational schools, junior high schools, senior 
high schools, and the Wilson Normal School. The principals of 
these schools and the heads of departments are immediately respon¬ 
sible for the proper performance of their duties to the first assistant 


CHART A 

GENERAL ORGANIZATION - PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

M or ocxtnew u, k» t 



88733—28, 


(Face p. 32.) 


No. 1. 
























































































































































































































Exhibit 2 


CHART 8 


ORGANIZATION OF WHITt PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

WASHINGTON, O.C. 

AjorDEttneou5,wt7 



ASSISTANT 5Ura?imiflCtHT 

in charge op iiwTRucnon in 

THE. ELEMENTART SCHOOLS_ 

? AiS't ft 4400 

3 Pn*i Injfebd Ass is CI-U5 1300 
l - » • M 1100 

| » n *• • II00 


FtttOnntL (o PAYROLL $15.wo 


ASSISTANT SU 
m CMA1 
ORCAHIIATIOn A 
OF ELEHENTJ 

PERINTENCEHT 

EGECF 

ADHMWCEHEJ1T 
|RT SCHOOLS 

1 A»’f Superintendent 

1 Clerk CAfft 

44300 

1320 

FTR50HNU. 2 

PRYRQll 

*3,820 


ASSISTANT SUPERinTENDCWT 
IN CHARGE Of 
COUCATIONAL RESEARCH 


I A»'t Superintendent 64*00 
4 Research Ieaekee* CL- l-A «UOO 
Z * *• « 1400 

I Clerk _ car 2 1380 


ptmincL e payroll 8it,38Q 



CLEMCNTART SCHOOLS 


4 

1 

Supf ftrnopab 

n • 

• 4300 
4100 

4 100 

1 

Adnwn *» 

CL I 

3too 

11 

r» n 

ft 

3200 

l 

.. 

ft 

3100 

0 


tf 

3000 

4 

r* n 

tt 

2900 

”l 9 

Tracking » 

a c 

2000 

3 

n * 

ft 

2600 

4 

n • 

CL 3 

2400 

2 

If »c>pr3 

CL 10 

2300 

i5o 


• 1 A 

2200 

383 

f* 

- 

2100 

43 

*t 

tt 

2000 

69 

tt 

ft 

1900 

29 

n 

* 

1000 

78 

*t 


1700 

58 

rt 

n 

1400 

37 

tt 

tt 

1500 

u> 

1 

tt 

ft 

1400 

Clerk 

CJ\T 2 

1500 

1 

n 

*t 

14-40 

1 

tt 

9 

1320 

h 

ft 

•t 

UO 


raoonna mih fmrau. t z.oto,szo 


SPECIAL SCHOOLS 


1 

Suet Principal 

a-12 8 4300 

1 

ft>«ipJ(4«UAC*i«a»«w)" T 

3200 

2 

IceeSii*) rneopal 

s - 3 

2600 

4 

Teaciwo 

.1 A 

2200 

19 

»* 

tt 

2100 

0 

rt 

tt 

1900 


tt 

It 

1000 

i 

• 

tt 

1700 

0 

*» 

** 

1400 

i 

Clerk 

CAf-2 

1380 


PtfOOHHU 47 PAT Ron « 94,400 


-1 

1 

i 

> 

SCHOOLS 

3 

Ad#*i*f CL* 7 

* 3100 

3 

leackerj 

am 

2200 

7 


*» 

2100 

2 

•* 

ft 

2000 

X 

ft 

ft 

1900 

1 


ft 

1800 

1 


rr 

1700 

2, 


M 

1500 

9 

*t 

•* 

1400 

PM30NNCL 32 

PUT ROLL • C2.2O0 


SPECIAL SUBJECTS 

1 

Oirr-<-!or 

Cl 12 

# 4300 

5 

tt 

CL 10 

3300 

1 

t* 

ft 

3300 

1 

Ttacke* 

CL 2 * 

2300 

.14 

ft 

CL 1 A 

2200 

38 

rt 

f( 

2100 

1 1 

*» 

n 

2000 

21 

rt 

tt 

1900- 

9 

rt 

m 

1000 

lf» 

it 

m 

1700 

9 

*t 

tt 

1400 

7 

»t 

rt 

1500 

19 

rt 

rt 

1400 

i 

Clerk 

CAf 2 

1500 

prmoHna U7 

PATROll #304.100 


ANNUAL SUBSTITUTES 

C> leacheo 

CL 3 * 41*00 

IQ 

CL - 1- A 1400 

prjoonriti ifa 

PAYROLL #24.000 


SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS 

J 

Principal# 

CL 9 

# 4300 

1 

AjFI ftieejf>d« 

a ii 

3300 

3 

Librarian* 

CL 4 A 

2200 

ft 

• 

9 

2100 

1 

m 

«• 

1900 

39 

Teacker# 

CL 3 8 

3100 

14 

p 

m 

2900 

123 

i# 

CL 3 A 

2000 

IS 

tt 

m 

2700 

28 

tt 

rt 

2600 

Z1 

n 

rr 

2500 

SB 

rt 

m 

2400 

e 

9 

ft 

2300 

i) 

9 

• 

MOO 

9 

9 

tf 

2100 

3 


rt 

1000 

3 

• 

rr 

1900 

9 

n 

ft 

1800 

» 

» 

CL VA 

2100 

1 

• 

» 

2000 

1 

rt 

ft 

1800 

l 

rt 

• 

1400 

1 

Clerk 

rt 

CAr-2 

1540 

1 

m 

1440 

t 

n 

m 

1300 

4 

*1 

*» 

1020 

PtJOOrmtL 411 PAYROLL #1.090,800 


JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS 

5 

Principals 

CL 8 

1 3800 

| 

ft 

3400 

1 

V 

r» 

3500 

3 

Teociwra 

CLIO 

2000 

2 

P 

1# 

2700 

4 

* 

• 

2400 

3 

•• 

It 

2500 

20 

• 

ft 

2400 

8 

ff 

ft 

2900 

12 

ft 

• 

2200 

13 

• 

rt 

2100 

7 

tt 

it 

4000 

3 

• 

tt 

1900 

10 

*1 

•# 

1000 

10 

ft 

CL 24 

2400 

59 

ft 

ff 

2300 

20 

rt 

ft 

4200 

5 

• 

rt 

2100 

II 

9 

•* 

2000 

3 

» 

n 

1900 

4 

rt 

9 

1800 

6 

■r 

** 

1700 

21 

rt 

« 

1430 

1 

m 

CL-LA 

1400 

2 

Clerks 

CAr-2 

1440 



rt 

1300 

4 

• 

9 

1320 

PCRMINCL 241 

PAYROLL #524,440 


HEADS OF H.5. DEPARTMENTS 

9 Heads of Oefls CL ll #3500 
rflOOlWLL 9 PATROL L * 31,500 


NORMAL SCHOOL 

1 fHnccpel 

CL 9 

#4000 

1 Li brenee 

CL 4 ft 

1100 

4 Teackeo 

CL 3 0 

3100 

ft " 

ft 

2900 

4 " 

CL-3-A 

2000 

1 • 

*» 

2*00 

3 ** 

•» 

2400 

7 

ft 

2400 

1 ** 

rt 

2100 

1 Clark 

curt 

1380 

PUOOHNtL 27 

PAYROLL 

*10,200 


S8733—28. 


(Face p. 32.) No. 2. 











































































































































































Exhibit 3 


CHART C 


ORGANIZATION OF COLORED PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

A3 Of OCCtnetR 15,19(1,1 


FIRST ASSISTANTSttFCRUfTEftfflff 
_ f®R C OLORED SCHOOLS 

I first Assistant Superintended #JfeOO 
1 Clerk CAf -3 | 5 O 0 


PCRSOHUEL 2 _ PAYROLL »7,100 


ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT 
ia CHARGE or 
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

I Ais't 5upirmfen<lenl 64400 
I Oiftttw (t^«i Lijltudicm CLIO 3100 
I fVim IasimcJAsssW CL 14 2200 

i . - - , 2100 

I Clark CAM 1440 


HTOOnHuL 3 PATROLL 413,440 


ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT 
IN CHARGE Of 
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 

1 Aw't Superintended 6 4400 

2 Research TeacViers CL-14 2100 

I 1900 

I Clark CAf-2 1440 


PCWfintX 3 PAT ROLL 0 11,940 


j ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

i 1 

5upV ftirfcipal 

CL- 12 

6 4300 

1 1 

n m 

9* 

4100 

10 

A *» 

CL 7 

3200 

3 

*t n 

n 

3 i 00 

2 

#t m 

N 

3000 

12 

Tracking” 

CL-4 

2800 

3 

n n 

CL-J 

2400 

1 

rt tt 

t» 

2500 

1 

leaeJt ers 

CL-1-8 

2300 

73 

»» 

a- i-a 

6200 

187 

» 

ft 

2100 

29 

•t 

ft 

2000 

74 

n 

tt 

1900 

29 

N 

- 

1600 

20 

ft 

** 

1700 

27 

»t 

M 

1000 

lit 

ft 

tt 

1300 

20 

•f 

•t 

1400 

1 

Clerk 

CAf-2 

1320 

personnel 510 pairoll »i,03t,sao 


SPECIAL SUBJECTS 


J 

Oireclors 

CL-10 

* SJOO 

2 

n 

e 

3300 

II 

Teaser® 

CL- I A 

2200 

27 

tt 

tt 

2100 

2 

.t 

tt 

2000 

10 

*t 

tt 

1900 

| 

•t 

ft 

1600 

2 

» 

If 

1700 

2 

f* 

ft 

1000 

2 

tt 

*1 

1500 

2 

n 

ft 

1400 


(TR300NCL fcfe PAYROLL 6142.200 


SPECIAL SCHOOLS 

1 

5up*- fhnapat CL-12 64300 

1 

Tcackmq 

CL 0 

2000 

1 

Teaches 

CL-16 

2300 

2 


CL" 1 A 

2200 

10 

n 

ft 

2100 

2 

ft 

ft 

2000 

1 

m 

ft 

1800 

1 

ft 

ft 

1700 

1 

*» 

f* 

1 too 

1 

tt 

(* 

1500 

4 

« 

m 

1400 

1 

Clerk 

CAf-a 

1320 

PtR50KNELX4> 

PAYROLL *52.320 




VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS 

Z Principals 

CL -7 * 3200 

G Teackcrs 

CL- l-A 2200 

12 , r* 

» 2100 

1 ♦» 

•> 2000 

2 

a 1900 

1 *» 

O 1000 

3 

- 1700 

1 » 

- 1000 

rttaowiLL 20 

PATROLL *59,100 


ANNUAL SUBSTITUTES 


2 Trackers CL-3 A J 1600 

j, » CL-ZC 1600 

4 n CL- I ft I400_ 

r:R30riNtL 6 PAYROLL 612,000 


JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS 


2 

Principals 

CL-6 

* 3600 

1 

»* 

■n 

3000 

1 

Teacher 

CL-2 0 

2900 

2 

rt 

CL-2C 

2500 

5 

tt 

rt 

2400 

5 

O 

rt 

2300 

9 

n 

ft 

2200 

b 

n 

n 

2100 

3 

n 

•* 

£000 

| 

n 

n 

1800 

2 

n 

CL- 2-A 

2400 

30 

n 

tt 

2300 

12 

tt 

ft 

2200 

2 

tt 


2100 

4 

*7 

ft 

2000 

2 

•» 

ft 

1700 

12 

tt 

tt 

IfeOO 

3 

Clerks 

CAf-2 

1320 


PCRXmm-L I DO PATROLL >2lfe,%0 


SENIOR HIGH 5CHOOL5 


1 

Principal 

CL 9 

4 4300 

1 

" 

•' 

4200 

2 

Ajs’t fhneipat) 

a 11 

3300 

1 

Li brarian 

GL-4 A 

2200 

1 

tt 

w 

1900 

6 

Teaektrs 

CL- 3 6 

3200 

5 

tt 

ft 

2900 

30 

rt 

CL 3 A 

2800 

8 

ft 

»» 

2700 

9 

n 

»• 

ZCOO 

8 

•t 

* 

2500 

7 

rt 

ft 

2400 

7 

ft 

tt 

2300 

5 

•» 

tt 

2200 

7 

* 

•t 

2100 

2 

ft 

tt 

2000 

1 

*1 

tt 

1900 

4 

tt 

tt 

1000 

2 

ft 

CL" 1 A 

£200 

3 

»> 

tt 

2100 

1 

*t 

** 

1900 

1 

• 

tt 

1600 

1 

• 

*1 

1400 

1 

Clerk 

CAf-2 

I5fc0 

1 

n 

*» • 

1500 

2 

n 

tt 

1320 


raoonna. 131 pat roll ♦ 351,300 


HEADS Of H.S. DEPARTMENTS 


4 Heads of Orpts CL 11 *3500 
2 .. » 3300 

I .... - 3200 

PtR30W1C.L 7 PATROLL *23,800 


NORMAL .SCHOOL 


1 

Principal 

CL-9 

4 4 100 

1 

Li bran an 

CL 4-A 

2100 

4 

Te. acker 9 

CL 3 0 

3200 

3 

« 

tt 

2900 

fc 

t* 

CL-.5 A 

2600 

2 

» 

« 

2400 

4 

« 

rt 

2300 

4 

tt 

ft 

2200 

1 

n 

»t 

2100 

1 

rt 

ft 

1900 

1 

Clerk 

CAf 2 

1440 


PCROOfttlCL 24 PATROLl » 24,340 


32.) No. 3. 


887.33 28. 


(Face p. 

























































































































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 33 

superintendent. The first assistant superintendent also supervises 
the operations of the clerical pool composed of six stenographers, 
typists, and clerks, who serve all offices in the Franklin Adminis¬ 
tration Building. 

Office of the Assistant Superintendent (White) in Charge of the Organization 
and Management of Elementary Schools. 

This assistant superintendent is charged with the general direction 
and supervision of the organization and management of the white 
elementary schools from the kindergarten through the eighth grade. 
He supervises instruction only in grades 7 and 8. He also has 
supervision over the activities of the directors of special subjects, 
and the supervising principals of the white divisions are immediately 
responsible to him for the proper performance of their duties. 

Office of Assistant Superintendent (White) in Charge of Instruction in Ele¬ 
mentary Schools. 

This assistant superintendent is responsible for the supervision of 
instruction in kindergartens and the grades from 1 to 6, and also for 
the direction of instruction in the demonstration schools. She has 
five assistants who are specially qualified by training and experience 
for the work of inspection and instruction of teachers*. These 
assistants visit teachers in their classrooms at least once a month 
and observe the quality of their teaching. As occasion requires they 
take charge of classes and give demonstration lessons. Detailed 
records are kept of each visit and written reports made to both 
. teachers and principals. 

All the teachers of each grade from 1 to 6 are called together at 
regular intervals to discuss problems of general interest. These 
conferences are supplemented by group meetings for the instruction 
of teachers who require assistance in some particular subject or 
method. 

Office of Assistant Superintendent (White) in Charge of Educational 
Research. 

The assistant superintendent in charge of educational research 
supervises the administration of intelligence and achievement tests 
and acts as advisory officer in the classification of pupils in accord¬ 
ance with their mental measurements. She is also advisory officer 
in connection with adjustments relating to problems of curricula and 
administration. 

During the past year (1926-27) the initial testing program was 
practically completed. This program provided for group testing of 
each child in the elementary schools by at least two intelligence tests, 
followed in the first grade by a reading test and in grades 3 to 8 
by a battery of school-achievement tests. The fundamental purpose 
of these tests is to enable principals to classify their pupils into 
homogenous groups according to intelligence so that they may secure 
the greatest possible benefit from school attendance. The groups are 
known as X, Y, Z, corresponding to above average, average, and 
below average. Both the courses of study and the methods of 
teaching are adjusted to the particular group in order that the chil¬ 
dren may progress in their studies at the highest rate of which they 
are capable. 


34 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

The group tests described above are supplemented by individual 
studies of problem children. On the basis of these studies some 
children are recommended for exclusion from school as noneducable, 
and others for transfer to a typical school for subnormal pupils or to 
opportunity classes for retarded pupils. Neurotic children suffering 
from emotional and volitional instability rather than mental in¬ 
feriority are referred to private psychiatrists for adjustment of their 
difficulties. 

The staff of the research department consists of six full-time 
research teachers and one full-time clerk. In addition, 26 supple¬ 
mentary teachers devoted one-half their time during the school year 
1926-27 to giving and scoring tests, tabulating test results, and 
interpreting them to principals and teachers. With their assistance 
it has been possible to complete the initial intelligence survey and to 
reorganize the schools on the X-Y-Z plan. The test results have 
also materially assisted the supplementary teachers in their coach¬ 
ing work as they are now in a position to diagnose intelligently the 
individual child’s difficulty and to prescribe the proper treatment. 

There is a considerable amount of clerical work involved in scoring 
intelligence tests and in preparing classification sheets and posting 
individual records. The classification sheets are in the form of 
tabulations showing for each class the names of the children, their 
test scores, their mental and chronological ages, and their intelligence 
quotients. The individual records are designed to accumulate the 
test results for each child throughout its school career. Since only 
one clerk was available on the staff of the research department, much 
of this clerical work had to be done by the supplementary teachers. 
Only the intelligence tests are scored by the supplementary teachers. 
The achievement tests are scored by the regular teachers since they 
are merely standardized tests which to some extent take the place 
of the old-style essay examinations. 

Office of the First Assistant Superintendent (Colored). 

The first assistant superintendent in charge of colored schools is 
the superintendent’s chief deputy in that branch of the school system. 
He has general direction and supervision over all employees, classes, 
and schools in which colored pupils are taught. He has immediate 
charge of the supervision of instruction, organization, and manage¬ 
ment of the colored vocational schools, junior high schools, senior 
high schools, and the Miner Normal School. The principals of 
these schools and the heads of departments are immediately respon¬ 
sible for the proper performance of their duties to the first" assistant 
superintendent. 

Office of the Assistant Superintendent (Colored) in Charge of Elementary 

Schools. 

This asvsistant superintendent is charged with the general direc¬ 
tion and supervision of instruction, organization, and management 
of the elementary schools from the kindergarten through the eighth 
grade. He supervises the work of the directors of special subjects, 
and the supervising principals of the colored divisions are immedi¬ 
ately responsible to him for the proper performance of their duties. 

A difference in organization should be noted here between the 
white and the colored systems. The colored system has one less 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 35 

assistant superintendent than the white. In the white system the 
supervision of the elementary schools is divided between the two as¬ 
sistant superintendents, the one being responsible for organization 
and management and the other for instruction. In the colored sys¬ 
tem one assistant superintendent is charged with the entire responsi¬ 
bility for the supervision of the elementary schools. However, he 
has a director of primary instruction with two assistants who are 
directly responsible for the supervision of instruction in the grades 
from one to four. 

Office of Assistant Superintendent (Colored) in Charge of Educational 
Research. 

The duties of the colored assistant superintendent in charge of 
educational research are similar to those of the corresponding white 
assistant superintendent. Both are charged with the direction of 
educational research for their respective systems, and although their 
problems differ in degree they are the same in kind. The general 
plan of their work has been the same, with minor differences of em¬ 
phasis. Both have practically completed their general surveys of 
intelligence and achievement, and in addition have performed a con¬ 
siderable amount of clinical work with problem children. The as¬ 
sistant superintendent (colored) has not attempted to maintain 
cumulative records of the scores of individual children. On the 
other hand, he has developed a plan of procedure for coaching work, 
and has undertaken the standardization of educational-guidance 
programs in the junior and senior high schools. 

The staff of the research department for the colored schools con¬ 
sists of three full-time research teachers and one full-time clerk. In 
addition, six supplementary teachers and one normal-school teacher 
devoted one-half their time during the school year 192G-27 to the 
administration of the test program and to the interpretation of 
results to principals and teachers. 

The assistant superintendent in charge of educational research 
is also chief examiner of the board of examiners for the colored 
schools. Further details concerning this feature of his work will 
be found under the heading “ Boards of examiners.” 

Boards of Examiners. 

There are two separate boards of examiners, one for white and one 
for colored schools. Since there is no difference in the organization 
and functions of the two boards they will be described under one 
heading. 

Each board of examiners consists of the superintendent of schools 
as chairman and not less than four nor more than six members 
of the supervisory or teaching staff of the schools. The Board of 
Education on the recommendation of the superintendent of schools 
designates annually the supervisors or teachers for membership on 
these boards. The chief examiner of the board of examiners for 
white schools, who is appointed for an indefinite term, is the chief 
administrative officer of the board and acts as its secretary. The 
colored assistant superintendent in charge of educational research 
is chief examiner of the board of examiners for colored schools. 

The boards of examiners hold examinations of applicants for posi¬ 
tions as teachers, librarians, and clerks, for promotion in salary 


36 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

from Group A to Group B of any class, for promotion from a lower 
to a higher salary class, and for promotion or appointment to ele¬ 
mentary school principalships. In conducting examinations the re¬ 
spective boards recpiest the assistance of such directors, heads of 
departments, principals, and teachers as they deem necessary. The 
marking of both written and oral examinations is made on a scale 
and in accordance with a plan agreed upon in advance by the respec¬ 
tive boards. A permanent record is kept of the standing of each 
candidate in each subject. 

In reporting the results of examinations, the respective boards 
submit to the Board of Education through the superintendent of 
schools the names of the successful candidates arranged in order of 
rank with a statement showing the total mark of each candidate. 
After the list has been approved by the Board of Education, teachers’ 
licenses valid for two years are issued to the successful candidates. 
The respective boards of examiners prepare an eligible list consist¬ 
ing of the names of all persons who have successfully passed ex¬ 
aminations in the same subject and whose eligibility has not expired. 
The names of the successful candidates are arranged in order of 
rank in accordance with the total mark of each candidate irrespective 
of the date of the examination. Appointments are made from these 
eligible lists in the order of their rank as vacancies occur in various 
positions. The positions of teaching principal and administrative 
principal in the elementary schools are exceptions to the general pro¬ 
cedure outlined above with reference to the preparation of eligible 
lists and the making of appointments. In preparing lists of eligibles 
for these positions the boards of examiners rank the names of suc¬ 
cessful candidates in groups of five, and the superintendent recom¬ 
mends to the Board of Education the appointment of the person 
within the highest group who in his opinion is best fitted for the ex¬ 
isting vacancy. Recommendations for the appointment of super¬ 
visory and administrative positions, including directors, heads of 
departments, high school principals, supervising principals, and as¬ 
sistant superintendents, are made by the superintendent of schools 
direct to the committee on personnel of the Board of Education. 

The respective boards of examinees determine the amount of lon¬ 
gevity placement to which teachers with experience in accredited 
schools are entitled. Tliej^ also determine the amount of teaching 
experience to which teachers and other employees are entitled under 
the provisions of the retirement act. 

Office of the Business Manager. 

The business manager, who ranks as an assistant superintendent, 
has supervision over the business affairs of the school system. He 
directs the procurement and distribution of supplies and equipment 
in accordance with the policies adopted by the educational officers, 
and supervises the preparation of pay rolls, the auditing of vouchers, 
and the maintenance of fiscal accounts and property records. The 
various financial statements and reports of the system are prepared 
under his supervision, and he assists the finance committee of the 
board and the superintendent in the preparation of the school bud¬ 
get. He has charge of the repair and alteration of buildings and the 
installation, repair, and replacement of all furniture and equipment. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 37 

He certifies all requisitions for supplies and equipment and for 
repairs to buildings and approves all vouchers for payment. 1 

The personnel of the office of business manager consists of a chief 
accountant, a bookkeeper, a pay-roll clerk, two requisition clerks, 
a personnel clerk, and three stenographers. The warehouse force 
consists of a storekeeper, an assistant storekeeper, a receiving clerk, 
two requisition fillers, and two laborers. A cabinetmaker who 
repairs furniture in the schools is also attached to this office. 

Office of Superintendent of Janitors. 

The superintendent of janitors, under the direction of the super¬ 
intendent of schools, is responsible for the protection, cleaning, heat¬ 
ing, and ventilating of all public-school buildings in the District of 
Columbia, and the care and cleaning of school grounds. He is also 
charged with the inspection of the buildings and their heating and 
ventilating equipment, and the moving of furniture and other school 
equipment. He personally supervises the selection, assignment, and 
instruction of all employees of the janitorial and custodial staff, 
and through his assistants supervises their work. Recommenda¬ 
tions for personnel changes, including appointments, transfers, pro¬ 
motions, demotions, and terminations, are submitted by the super¬ 
intendent of janitors to the Board of Education through the assistant 
superintendents and the superintendent of schools. 

The superintendent of janitors has two assistants, one for the 
colored and one for the white schools. The superintendent and his 
assistants make their headquarters at Franklin School, where they 
have an office and the services of a part-time clerk. The personnel 
of the janitorial force consists of 482 regular employees of various 
grades and classes, including janitors, engineers, firemen, coal passers, 
electricians, laborers, matrons, watchmen, and gardeners. In addi¬ 
tion, there are 21 caretakers who are employed part time to clean 
and heat special rooms and portable buildings. On the regular force 
there are 31 employees who receive in addition to their annual salary 
extra compensation for the care of special rooms and portables. 

Department of School Attendance and Work Permits. 

The compulsory school attendance law, passed by Congress Febru¬ 
ary 4, 1925, centralizes in the department of school attendance and 
work permits the responsibility for the enforcement of school at¬ 
tendance and child-labor regulations, and the maintenance of a con¬ 
tinuous school census. There are consequently three divisions in the 
department, as follows: School census, school attendance, and child 
labor. 

Every year a census is taken of all persons between the ages of 3 
and 18 years residing either temporarily or permanently within the 
District of Columbia. This information affords the basis for en¬ 
forcement of both school attendance and child-labor requirements. 
The annual census begins on July 1, when the entire field force of the 
department is assigned to canvassing the homes of the city for chil¬ 
dren between the ages of 3 and 18. The information collected by 
the enumerators is transcribed by clerks to individual card records, 

1 Under the law the purchasing agent of the District of Columbia makes all school 
purchases, the District repair shop repairs all school buildings, and the disbursing officer 
of the District of Columbia. makes all school disbursements. 



38 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


showing for each child its name, address, race, sex. date and place of 
birth, the school attended, and the names of its parents, tor the 
purpose of keeping the census material current between annual 
enumerations the law requires the principal of every public, private, 
or parochial school to report every child under 18 years of age who 
enrolls in or withdraws from his school. Ail changes of address of 
school children are also reported regularly, and proper changes noted 
on the child’s census card. In the fall of each year every public, 
private, and parochial school is required to furnish a complete enroll¬ 
ment of its children, which is later checked against the census records. 

Regular attendance at a public, private, or parochial school is 
required by law of all children between the ages of 7 and 1G years, 
except those between the ages of 14 and 1G who have completed the 
eighth grade and are regularly and legally employed. Special pro¬ 
vision is also made for those mentally and physically unfit to profit 
from school attendance. Every principal must report to the attend¬ 
ance department the name and address of any child enrolled in his 
school who has been absent two full-day sessions or four one-half 
day sessions or more in any school month, together with the reason 
for the absence as far as known. These reports are assigned to 
attendance officers for investigation. They visit the home in order 
to ascertain the cause of the absence, and to return the child to s hool 
if the absence is illegal. When the officers visit a home where the 
absence, although illegal, is due to conditions and circumstances 
which could be remedied through social treatment, they report the 
matter to the proper social agency for cooperation in working out a 
plan of adjustment. In cases of continued irregular attendance the 
parent or guardian is summoned to bring the child for an informal 
hearing before the director of the department. If illegal absences 
continue after the hearing or the summons to appear before the 
director is ignored, the case is referred to the juvenile court which 
has jurisdiction in all cases arising under the act. 

The enforcement of the provisions of the child labor law is an¬ 
other function of the department of school attendance and work 
permits. This law forbids the employment of children under 14 
years of age except in certain street trades, as noted below. It also 
provides that any child between the ages of 14 and 16 years who has 
completed the eighth grade and is in sound health may be excused 
from further attendance at school if he is lawfully and regularly 
employed. Work permits are issued to such children after they have 
proved their age and school attendance and a doctor has certified 
them as physically fit for the contemplated work. Employers of 
minors under 16 years of age are required to post work permits for 
such persons, and they are forbidden to employ them more than 
8 hours in any one daj 7 or before G a. m. or after 7 p. m. or in 
excess of 48 hours in a week. Permits are also issued for before and 
after school work and Saturday and holiday employment to children 
between 14 and 16 years of age who have not completed the eighth 
grade. During the summer vacation the grade requirement is 
waived, making it possible for a 14-year-old child to work full time 
on a vacation certificate, even though he has not completed the 
eighth grade. Permits and badges are issued for street selling out¬ 
side school hours for boys between the ages of 10 and 16 years, but 


39 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

4 

no child to whom such a permit and badge is issued may engage in 
selling before 6 o’clock in the morning or after 10 o'clock in the 
evening. 

The staff of the department of school attendance and work permits 
consists of the director, 12 attendance officers, 5 census enumerators, 
1 child-labor clerk, 1 stenographer, and 4 file and record clerks. Dur¬ 
ing the summer the attendance officers serve as census enumerators. 
The department has no child-labor inspectors, although the child 
labor law of 1908 authorized the commissioners to appoint two in¬ 
spectors to enforce its provisions. For many years two police officers 
were detailed to this work, but in June, 1925, when the present 
attendance department was established they were withdrawn. 

Office of Statistics and Publications. 

The office of statistics and publications, as its name implies, 
has two functions, namely, (1) to compile certain regular statistical 
reports with reference to teachers, pupils, and buildings, and to pre¬ 
pare special reports from time to time as requested by school offi¬ 
cials; and (2) to estimate the cost of printing jobs, to prepare copy 
for the printer, and to read and correct proof. 

The school year is divided into six report periods, three in the first 
and three in the second semester. At the end of each report period 
each teacher is required to prepare from her record book an attend¬ 
ance report. The building principal combines the teachers’ reports 
into a consolidated report for her building or buildings, and sends 
them to the office of statistics and publications. On the last day of 
October of each year all teachers are required to submit a report of 
the ages and nationalities of their pupils. From these reports the 
office compiles statistical statements showing the number and distri¬ 
bution of teachers and of pupils, and a series of attendance reports 
showing for each class of school and for the entire system the whole 
number enrolled, the average number belonging, and the average 
attendance. The special reports referred to above are similar in 
character to the regular reports, being largely compilations of fig¬ 
ures without interpretation of any kind. 

Printing is paid for out of the contingent and miscellaneous ap¬ 
propriation, and a board of apportionment allots annually the 
amount for this purpose. There are forms committees for ele¬ 
mentary schools and for high schools which pass upon all suggested 
changes in forms. The office of statistics and publications acts as a 
clearing house between the schools and the Government Printing 
Office for all printed matter, including forms and pamphlets of 
various kinds. 

The staff of the office of statistics and publication consists of two 
statistical clerks. 

Community-Center Department. 

The community-center department is responsible for the promo¬ 
tion of neighborhood organization throughout the District of 
Columbia, and supervises the use of school buildings as community 
forums and civic centers after regular school hours. During the 
past year 19 schools were used as centers for a wide variety of 
activities, including physical training, instrumental and vocal music, 
dramatics, rhythmic and social dancing, classes in hand work, and 
group meetings of many kinds, both social and educational. 


40 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Each center is governed by an advisory committee composed of the 
school principal, representatives of the local citizens’ association, and 
the local parent-teachers’ association, and two members elected at 
large from the community. The chairman of the advisory com- 
mittees of the white centers together with four members appointed 
at large by the superintendent constitute the Central advisory council, 
and the chairman of the advisory committees of the colored centers 
together with two members appointed at large constitute the Dunbar 
advisory council. The two councils meeting together make up the 
community center council for the whole city. These councils act in 
an advisory capacity to the director of the community center de¬ 
partment and assist her in the formulation of policies and the plan¬ 
ning of general activities. . 

The staff of the department consists of the following full-time 
employees: The director, two general secretaries, and seven com¬ 
munity secretaries. In addition there are two clerks, one mechanic, 
and a number of part-time secretaries, assistant secretaries, super¬ 
visors, teachers, and leaders, who are paid from the community-center 
fund. 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Introduction. 

As an introduction to our discussion of the schools of the District 
of Columbia a brief statement of their number and distribution is 
o-iven below. The general plan of organization which has been 
adopted for the District schools is the so-called 0-3-3 plan with six 
elementary grades, three junior high-school grades, and three senior 
high-school grades. There are still a number of seventh and eighth 
grades in elementary schools but they will gradually be transferred 
as additional junior high schools are constructed. 


Kind of school 

Number of buildings 

White 

Colored 

Total 


94 

39 

133 


4 

1 

5 


* 4 

2 

6 


* 8 

« 4 

12 


5 

2 

7 


1 

1 

2 

Total ....--- 

116 

49 

’ 165 






1 Special classes in regular school buildings are not included in this total. 

2 includes the Lenox-French Vocational School as two separate buildings. 

3 Includes as a separate building the Brightwood annex to the Macfarland Junior High School. 

* includes as a separate building the Simmons annex to the Shaw Junior High School. 

Elementary Schools. 

For administrative purposes the elementary schools of the District 
of Columbia are organized into 13 divisions, the white schools in¬ 
cluding divisions 1 to 9, and the colored schools divisions 10 to 
13. At the present time 133 buildings are used to house elementary- 
school pupils, and in addition 64 portables and 8 rented buildings are 
still in use on account of congested conditions in certain sections of 
the city. The regular schools vary in size from 1-room frame build¬ 
ings to modern 20-room brick structures, but the 8-room neighborhood 
school is still the prevailing type. 

























PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 41 

The local educational officers responsible for the organization, 
management, and supervision of the elementary schools are the super¬ 
vising principals. There are seven white and three colored supervis¬ 
ing principals, who are assigned as follows: White—one each to 
divisions 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9, and one to the three divisions 2, 4, and 8; 
colored—one each to divisions 12 and 13, and one to the two divisions 
10 and 11. The supervising principals of divisions 9 and 12 are 
charged with the supervision of all special activities in the elementary 
schools, including atypical, ungraded, health, open-air, and Ameri¬ 
canization schools and classes, and they also supervise night schools 
and vacation schools. 

Each supervising principal has authority over all employees, 
classes, and schools of his division. He organizes the classes within 
the several school buildings, classifies the pupils in the various 
grades, and assigns teachers to classes. As often as practicable he 
visits each school for the purpose of unifying and standardizing 
classroom instruction, and from time to time he holds meetings and 
conferences with teachers. He also keeps records of the attendance 
and punctuality of employees, provides substitutes for teachers who 
are absent, and at the end of the school year rates the efficiency of 
each one of the employees under his jurisdiction. In all matters 
pertaining to the elementary schools in his division the supervising 
principal is the channel of communication between the schools and 
headquarters. Rules and orders of the Board of Education and the 
superintendent are transmitted by the supervising principal to the 
schools, and he is held responsible for the impartial enforcement of 
all such regulations and instructions. School reports of various 
kinds and requisitions for textbooks, supplies, equipment, building 
repairs, etc., flow through his office to the superintendent. Two of 
the supervising principals are assigned full-time clerks to assist them 
with their office work, one has a clerk four days a week, and the 
other seven have clerks only three days a w T eek. 

There are two classes of elementary-school principals, namely, 
administrative and teaching, and on December 15, 1927, the principals 
were rather evenly divided between the two classes, as follows: 
49 administrative principals and 42 teaching principals. Adminis¬ 
trative principals are relieved of the duty of teaching regularly, while 
teaching principals are assigned full-time classes. There are two 
classes of teaching principals based upon the number of rooms under 
their supervision as follows: 4 to 5 rooms and 8 to 15 rooms. The 
large majority of teaching principals are responsible for eight rooms, 
and therefore fall in the latter class. The smallest school unit justi¬ 
fying the appointment of an administrative principal is 16 rooms. 
Only the newer school buildings have as many as 16 rooms, and there¬ 
fore the majority of the administrative principals are responsible for 
the supervision of two buildings. In some cases the two buildings 
are on the same square; in other cases they are separated by half a 
mile or more. 

Principals are the responsible administrative heads of their re¬ 
spective schools and as such have authority over teachers, pupils, 
and janitors in the buildings assigned to them. They are required 
to observe the rules and orders of the Board of Education and the 
directions of administrative and supervisory officers. Administra- 


42 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


tive principals enforce established courses of study and supervise 
instruction. All principals are responsible for the cleanliness and 
sanitation of their respective buildings, and they share with the 
janitors the responsibility for the care and safety of school property. 

Principals are also required to keep certain records concerning 
teachers and pupils and to submit regular reports to the supervising 
principals. No clerical assistance, however, is provided in any of 
the elementary schools for this purpose. 

With the single exception of the Park View Platoon School, the 
elementary schools of the District are organized on the traditional 
basis of one teacher to each classroom. Kindergartens with enroll¬ 
ments of 30 or more pupils are usually assigned two teachers, 
one of whom is designated principal kinclergartner, and the other 
assistant kinclergartner. Each grade teacher has personal charge 
of her class during the entire school day. She prepares her own 
program, allotting time to the various subjects in the curriculum 
as required by the official time schedule. Printed courses of study 
are furnished teachers for guidance in planning their lessons. Each 
teacher is required to keep in the official book provided therefor 
a record of the attendance of pupils and a record of the proficiency 
of pupils in their studies. 

The regular school day is from 9 to 3 with one hour for lunch, be¬ 
tween 12 and 1, and recesses of 15 minutes in the morning and 10 
minutes in the afternoon. Kindergarten hours are from 9 to 12, 
with a few exceptions in congested sections where afternoon sessions 
must be held from 1 to 4. There are also a number of part-time 
classes in grades 1 and 2 which alternate between morning and 
afternoon sessions of three and one-half hours per day (9 to 12.30 
and 12.30 to 4). All these teachers, however, are required to work 
five hours per day five days per week. 

On December 15, 1927, there were 1,441 elementary-school teachers, 
including 42 teaching principals, distributed as follows: White 952 
and colored 489. Of this total 195 were kindergartners, 125 of whom 
were white and 70 colored. 

Instruction by the regular grade teachers in certain subjects is 
supplemented by periodical visits of itinerant special teachers to the 
classrooms. These subjects are art, music, physical training, nature 
study, visual education, and penmanship. The teachers of art, music, 
and physical training visit all classes from the first to the eighth 
grades on an average of once every three weeks. Nature-study 
teachers visit only the upper grades and their visits are somewhat 
more frequent. During her visit the special teacher assumes charge 
of the class and teaches a lesson of 30, 40, or at most 50 minutes. 
She is in no sense a supervisor, although she is expected to interpret 
to the regular teacher the course of study and to demonstrate the most 
approved methods of teaching the subject. The regular teacher, 
however, is primarily responsible for the teaching of the particular 
subject for the full time required by the time schedule, which with 
a single exception is not less than 60 minutes a week. 

Domestic art (sewing), domestic science (housekeeping and cook¬ 
ing), and manual training are taught to sixth, seventh, and eighth 
grade pupils at special centers. In these cases the pupils go to the 
teacher instead of the teacher going to the pupil. Most of the special 
centers are located in regular school buildings, and in some cases 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


43 


children must travel considerable distances to reach them. The shop 
subjects differ from the other special subjects because the regular 
teacher assumes no responsib.lity for their teaching. Special center 
programs are usually arranged so that both boys and girls do not 
leave their classroom at the same time, and therefore the regular 
teacher is seldom left without at least part of her class. Sewing is 
taught by itinerant teachers to third, fourth, and fifth grade girls in 
the home classrooms, while the regular teacher keeps the boys occu¬ 
pied with some quiet study. 

The supervisory officers responsible for instruction in the special 
subjects are called directors. Both the white and the colored schools 
have six directors of special subjects, but they are somewhat differ¬ 
ently distributed. The white directors are as follows: Domestic art, 
domestic science, manual training, drawing, music, and physical 
training. The colored directors are as follows: Household arts (com¬ 
bining domestic art and domestic science), manual training, drawing, 
music, physical train.ng, and nature study. In the white schools 
nature study is in charge of one of the staff teachers, who is relieved 
of teaching to supervise the work of her associates. The directors of 
special subjects are responsible for the supervision of the methods of 
teaching in their respective subjects and for the interpretation of 
courses of study to teachers in elementary schools and junior high 
schools. 

On December 15, 1927, there were 12 directors and 208 special 
teachers, of whom 149 were white and 59 colored. The distribution 
of teachers by subjects was as follows: Domestic art 4G, domestic 
science 41, manual training 32, music 24, physical training 17, 
nature study 25, drawing 18, visual education 4, and penmanship 1. 

In the discussion of the research departments reference was made 
to the supplementary teachers. They are really teachers who are 
relieved of regular classroom instruction for a variety of purposes 
as follows: To coach pupils who have fallen behind in their studies, 
to administer standardized intelligence and achievement tests and 
to organize the results, to relieve teaching principals in the larger 
buildings, and to substitute for teaching principals and teachers 
who must absent themselves from their classes in line of duty. On 
December 15, 1927, there were 32 supplementary teachers of whom 
29 were white and 3 colored. 

Special Schools. 

The ninth division of the white schools and the twelfth division 
of the colored schools are really departments of special schools and 
activities. These activities include the following: Atypical classes 
for mentally subnormal children, ungraded classes for delinquent 
and truant boys and girls, open window classes for anaemic and 
underweight children, Americanization classes for foreign born 
children and adults, health schools for tubercular children, and 
individual instruction in the correction and improvement of defec¬ 
tive speech. Five buildings, including two health schools, are used 
to house special classes, but most of this work is conducted in regu¬ 
lar elementary school buildings. 2 Night schools (elementary, high, 


* Four rented buldings, the house of detention, and the Cook Temporary Home are also 
used to house atypical and ungraded classes. 

88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-4 




44 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

and vocational) and vacation schools (elementary, junior, and senior 
high) are also included among the special activities supervised by 
the supervising principals of the ninth and the twelfth divisions. 
The supervising principal of the twelfth division is also responsible 
for promoting visual instruction in colored elementary schools, but 
in the white schools the teacher in charge of this activity reports 
to an assistant superintendent of schools. On December 15, 1927, 
there were 68 full-time day school teachers of special classes, in¬ 
cluding three teaching principals, of whom 44 were white and 24 
colored. There is also one administrative principal in the ninth 
division, who supervises the Americanization school. 

Vocational Schools. 

There are 5 vocational schools in the District, 1 for white boys, 
1 for white girls, 1 for white boys and girls, 1 for colored boys, and 1 
for colored girls. The aim of these schools is to prepare for certain 
trades children who plan to leave school for work when they have 
completed the elementary course or reached the compulsory school- 
age limit of 16 years. These schools are of elementary rank and 
admit children who are 14 years of age and have completed the sixth 
grade. Most of the full courses cover two years, half of the time 
being devoted to academic subjects and the other half to shop prac¬ 
tice. Among the trades taught are printing, plumbing, auto repair, 
sheet metal, electrical, carpentry, bricklaying, and machine shop for 
boys, and dressmaking, cafeteria management, millinery, and artcraft 
for girls. On December 15, 1927, there were 55 teachers in the voca¬ 
tional schools, 29 of whom were white and 26 colored. 

Junior High Schools. 

As previously stated, the general plan of organization adopted for 
the schools of the District is the 6-3-3 plan, with six grades in the 
elementary schools and three each in the junior and senior high 
schools. The organization is still incomplete, but with the comple¬ 
tion of the five-year building program all seventh, eighth, and ninth 
grade pupils, with a few exceptions, will be housed in junior high 
schools. At the present time there are 10 junior high schools, 7 
white and 3 colored. Two new junior high schools, 1 white and 1 
colored, are under construction, and 4 more white junior high schools 
are provided for in the five-year building program. 

Three general courses are offered by the junior high schools, 
namely, academic, commercial, and practical arts. Most of them 
offer all three courses, but since the junior high schools (with one 
exception) are community schools, the character of a school will 
vary to some extent according to the nature of the community which 
it serves. Some of the junior high schools are therefore predomi¬ 
nantly academic and emphasize preparation for professional careers, 
while others are predominantly vocational and emphasize training 
for careers in the trades and in business. 

The school day in the junior high schools begins at 9 o’clock in the 
morning and closes at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. In order to permit 
pupils to return home for luncheon, the lunch period is 45 minutes in 
length. There are seven recitation periods of 43 minutes each in the 
school day. Definite periods are also set aside for opening exercises 
in both morning and afternoon sessions, and one of the regular 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 45 

periods is given over each day for assemblies and other extra¬ 
curricular activities. 

The junior high schools are organized on the basis of limited 
departmentalization in grade seven, with a gradual increase in the 
amount of departmentalization through the eighth grade and the 
ninth grade, where the departmental work is similar to that of the 
senior high school. Limited departmentalization in grade seven is 
achieved by requiring academic teachers to teach two subjects to the 
same class of pupils, so that no pupil has more than three teachers of 
academic subjects. Moreover, the home teacher of each class is usu¬ 
ally one of these teachers and she also has charge of the extra¬ 
curricular activities of her pupils, including club meetings and edu¬ 
cational and vocational guidance. The standard established by the 
board of education for teachers of academic subjects in junior high 
schools is 750 pupil periods per week, and for teachers of shop sub¬ 
jects 600 pupil periods per week. On December 15, 1927, there were 
321 teachers in the junior high schools, of whom 227 were white and 
94 colored. Each junior high school is in charge of a principal who 
is assigned a full-time clerk. 

Senior High Schools. 

The five white senior high schools of Washington are organized 
as general high schools serving particular sections of the city, and 
two of them, namely, Business and McKinley Technical, also serve 
the entire city in their special fields. On the other hand, the two 
colored senior high schools, Dunbar and Armstrong, serve all of 
Washington, the former specializing in academic and business 
courses and the latter in technical courses. 

The ninth-grade pupils in the senior high schools have been gradu¬ 
ally reduced until now they represent about 70 per cent of the total, 
the other 30 per cent being provided for in junior high schools. In 
another three or four years most of the ninth-grade pupils will be 
provided for in junior high schools, and both junior and senior high 
schools will be organized on a three-year basis. 

The school day in the senior high schools is from 9 a. m. to 2.30 
p. m. and is divided into six periods of 45 minutes each and a lunch 
period of 30 minutes. Each high school has at least one lunch 
period and some have two because the lunchroom facilities will not 
take care of all the pupils at one time. 

The senior high schools of Washington are organized on the de¬ 
partmental basis with the majority of teachers teaching only one 
subject. The standard established by the board of education for 
teachers of academic subjects in senior high schools is 700 pupil- 
periods per week and for teachers of shop subjects 600 pupil-periods 
per week. On December 15, 1927, there were 510 teachers in the 
senior high schools, of whom 383 were white and 127 colored. Each 
senior high school is in charge of a principal, who is assisted by one 
or two assistant principals, and one to three clerks, the number vary¬ 
ing according to the size of the school. One librarian is also assigned 
to each high school, except Central High School, which on account 
of its large enrollment has two librarians. 

The principals of both junior and senior high schools are assisted 
in the supervision of particular subjects by heads of departments. 
Each head of department teaches one class for five periods a week 


46 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

and the rest of his time is devoted to visiting classes throughout the 
city for the purpose of unifying and standardizing classroom in¬ 
struction in his particular subject. There are 10 heads of depart¬ 
ments, of whom 9 are white and 7 colored. The white department 
heads are as follows: Business practice, chemistry and biology, Eng¬ 
lish, history, Latin, mathematics, modern languages, physical train¬ 
ing, and physics. The colored department heads are as follows: 
Business practice, English and history, languages, mathematics, ap¬ 
plied science, physical training, and general science. 

Normal Schools. 

Washington has two normal schools, one for white and one for 
colored students. These schools prepare their graduates for posi¬ 
tions as teachers in the elementary schools. The course was recently 
increased from two to three years, in accordance with a recommenda¬ 
tion of the United States Bureau of Education. On December 15, 
1927, there were 47 teachers in the normal schools, of whom 24 were 
white and 23 colored. Each normal school is in charge of a prin¬ 
cipal, who is assigned one full-time clerk and a librarian. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

In our opinion the plan of organization of the Washington school 
system is generally satisfactory, and under proper management 
should adequately serve its purpose of securing an economical and 
efficient administration of the public schools. The various functions 
are for the most part logically distributed and clearly defined. We 
therefore have no radical changes to recommend, but we do feel that 
several changes in organization and methods should be made in order 
to secure a more effective operation of the school system. 

The following are our recommendations regarding the general 
organization and administration of the public schools. Recommen¬ 
dations concerning detailed methods will be included in subsequent 
sections of the report relating to particular departments: 

1. The supervision of the white junior high schools should be 
transferred from the first assistant superintendent to the assistant 
superintendent in charge of the organization of elementary schools. 

2. The authority of the supervising principals should be extended 
to include the organization of junior high schools in their respective 
divisions. 

3. Each of the supervising principals should be provided with a 
full-time clerk. 

4. The two positions of white and colored directors of kinder¬ 
gartens should be abolished when the present incumbents have retired 
and their duties transferred, respectively, to the white assistant super¬ 
intendent in charge of instruction in elementary schools and the 
colored director of primary instruction. 

5. The authority of the colored director of primary instruction 
should be extended to include supervision of instruction in the fifth 
and sixth grades. 

6. The clerical staff of the departments of research should be in¬ 
creased in order to relieve the research teachers and supplementary 
teachers of the routine of scoring tests and tabulating the results. 


47 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

7. The staff of the department of school attendance and work per¬ 
mits should be increased by adding two attendance officers and two 
child-labor inspectors. 

8. An enlarged statistical office should be organized and placed in 
charge of a trained statistician, and the procurement of printing 
should be transferred from the office of statistics to the business man¬ 
ager’s office. 

9. The clerical pool should be transferred from the office of the 
first assistant superintendent (white) to the office of the business 
manager. 

10. The office of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings 
and grounds should be created, to which should be transferred the 
responsibility for all work relating to the repair and alteration of 
school buildings and equipment and the supervision over the cus¬ 
todial and engineering forces of the school system. 

Recommendation No. 1 .—The supervision of the white junior high 
schools should be transferred from the first assistant superintendent 
to the assistant superintendent in charge of the organization and 
administration of elementary schools. 

The first assistant superintendent (white) is undoubtedly over¬ 
loaded with the responsibility for supervising the junior and senior 
high schools and the normal school, in addition to his general admin¬ 
istrative duties. On the other hand, the assistant superintendent’s 
load will gradually become lighter as the seventh and eighth grades 
are transferred to the junior high schools. The assistant superin¬ 
tendent should therefore be able to supervise the junior high schools 
more intensively than they are supervised by the first assistant at the 
present time. There are several reasons why the junior high schools 
require more intensive supervision. In the first place, they lack the 
traditions of the elementary schools and the senior high schools, and 
in the second place, their organization and methods are still more or 
less experimental. The junior high-school principals are laboring 
valiantly in the solution of their special problems, but they need con¬ 
stant advice and assistance from headquarters. It is also suggested 
that the principals be called together in conference at more frequent 
intervals for the discussion of subjects of common interest, such as 
courses of study, teaching methods, educational and vocational guid¬ 
ance, and extra-curricular activities. 

Recommendation No. 2 .—The authority of the supervising prin¬ 
cipals should be extended to include the organization of junior high 
schools in their respective divisions. 

This recommendation is a corollary of recommendation No. 1. At 
the present time the supervising principals organize the classes in 
the elementary schools of their respective divisions under the direc¬ 
tion of the assistant superintendent in charge of the organization 
and administration of elementary schools. By extending their au¬ 
thority to include the organization of classes in the junior high 
schools a closer coordination should be secured between the elemen¬ 
tary schools and the junior high schools. Moreover, the junior high 
schools as organized in Washington are essentially community 
schools and therefore logically should be organized in the first in¬ 
stance by the supervising principals who are familiar with conditions 
in their divisions. 


48 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Recommendation No. 3 .—Each of the supervising principals should 
be provided with a full-time clerk. 

At the present time two of the supervising principals are assigned 
full-time clerks to assist them with their office work, one has a 
clerk four days a week, and the other seven have clerks only three 
davs a week. In our opinion each of the supervising principals 
should be provided with a full-time clerk, and it is therefore recom¬ 
mended that the 1929 appropriations include four clerks for this 
purpose. As previously pointed out, the supervising principal is 
the channel of communication between the schools and headquarters, 
and the amount of clerical work which this function involves is so 
great that it can not be handled by a part-time clerk. The super¬ 
vising principal must therefore spend time on routine details which 
should be devoted to his strictly educational duties. 

Recommendation No. 3 .—The two positions of white and colored 
directors of kindergartens should be abolished when the present 
incumbents retire and their duties transferred respectively to the 
white assistant superintendent in charge of instruction in elementary 
schools and the colored director of primary instruction. 

For many years the kindergarten was merely an adjunct to the 
elementary school, and its aims and methods differed sufficiently from 
those of the grades to justify a separate organization with inde¬ 
pendent supervision. But now that the kindergarten has become an 
integral part of the elementary school with common aims and similar 
methods there is no longer any good reason for this separation. For¬ 
merly kindergartners were paid less than elementary-school teachers 
and worked fewer hours, but now they are paid exactly the same 
salary and are required to work the same number of hours. 

The supervision of instruction in the kindergarten is a logical 
extension of the function of the white assistant superintendent in 
charge of elementary instruction and of the colored director of pri¬ 
mary instruction. By the addition of a trained kindergartner to 
each of their staffs they will readily be able to absorb the duties of 
the kindergarten directors. The centralization of the supervision of 
instruction in both the kindergarten and the grades in one place 
should likewise result in better coordination between the two. 

Recommendation No. o .—The authority of the colored director of 
primary instruction should be extended to include supervision of 
instruction in the fifth and sixth grades. 

At the present time the colored director of primary instruction 
supervises classroom teaching in grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the ele¬ 
mentary schools under the direction of an assistant superintendent. 
No specific provision is made for the inspection and instruction of 
teachers in grades 5 and 6. As previously stated, grades 7 and 8 are 
gradual^ being transferred to junior high schools, where instruc¬ 
tion is supervised by directors of special subjects and heads of de¬ 
partments. Formerly a director of intermediate instruction was re¬ 
sponsible for the supervision of instruction in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8, 
but this position has been abolished in both the white and the colored 
schools. In the white schools an assistant superintendent super¬ 
vises the instruction in all six grades of the elementary schools, and 
it is recommended that the colored schools adopt a similar plan by 
extending the authority of the director of primary instruction to 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 49 

include the supervision of teachers in grades 5 and 6. It is also 
suggested that the title of the position be changed to director of 
elementary instruction. The adoption of this recommendation 
should result in better coordination between the upper and lower 
grades of the elementary schools and in the unification and stan¬ 
dardization of classroom instruction in all grades. 

Recommendation No. 6 .—The clerical statf of the departments of 
research should be increased in order to relieve the research teachers 
and the supplementary teachers of the routine of scoring mental 
tests and tabulating the results. 

It has already been pointed out that since their organization two 
years ago the departments of research have completed the mental 
testing of the children in the elementary schools. The results of the 
tests have been used by principals as a basis for classifying their 
pupils into X, Y, Z groups according to their innate abilities. Bet¬ 
ter instruction has therefore been made possible by the adjustment 
of methods and courses of study to the individual capacities and 
needs of the several groups. This program could not have been car¬ 
ried out in two years without using the supplementary teachers as 
a field force. The administration of mental tests and interpreta¬ 
tion of test results seems a logical extension of the function of the 
supplementary teachers, and there is no doubt that their work with 
backward and problem pupils has been materially assisted b}^ the 
better diagnosis of individual cases which the tests have made pos¬ 
sible. 

On the other hand, both the supplementary teachers and the re- 9 
search teachers have been required to devote an excessive amount of 
time to the mechanical routine of scoring mental tests and tabulating 
the results. Much of this work can admittedly be done by statistical 
clerks, but since no clerks were available the teachers were required 
to perform the service. At the present time the research depart¬ 
ments have only one clerk each, who acts as stenographer, typist, and 
general office assistant to the assistant superintendent in charge. It 
is suggested that two more clerks be assigned to the white research 
department and one to the colored research department for the pur¬ 
pose of scoring tests, tabulating results, and keeping any necessary 
records With this assistance the research and supplementary 
teachers should be able to devote more of their time to the investiga¬ 
tion of educational problems and the diagnosis and treatment of 
backward and problem children. 

Recom/niendation No. 7 .—The staff of the department of school 
attendance and work permits should be increased by adding two at¬ 
tendance officers and two child-labor inspectors. 

As previously indicated, the major function of the department of 
school attendance and work permits is the enforcement of the com¬ 
pulsory school attendance law. The basis for the enforcement of the 
law is the annual school census supplemented by the reports of 
teachers concerning the absences of children in their classes. It 
is the duty of the attendance officers to investigate absences and 
return the children to school if the absences are illegal. There are 
12 attendance officers, 7 serving the white schools and 5 the colored 
schools. Each attendance officer is assigned all of the schools located 
in a definite district of the city. In 1926-27 the average load of the 


50 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


attendance officers was nearly 6,000 children. The total number of 
cases reported for special investigation was 28,609, or an average of 
about 60 cases per attendance officer during each week of the school 
year. These case loads are excessive according to any reasonable 
standard, and consequently many incomplete cases are left at the 
end of each year. Nevertheless, our analysis of the census records 
indicates that the compulsory school attendance law is being well 
enforced. 

Comparison with several other cities in the United States indicates 
that the load of attendance officers in the District of Columbia is 
considerably higher than the average. For example, Cleveland and 
New York have an attendance officer for approximately every 4.000 
children. Some cities also have home visitors or visiting teachers 
in addition to their attendance officers. In Washington the at¬ 
tendance officers perform some of the functions of visiting teachers 
by serving as a connecting link between the home and the school 
and bringing about a better understanding between them. They are 
social workers rather than police officers, and much of their time is 
devoted to securing the cooperation of community agencies so that 
bad home conditions may be remedied and irregular attendance pre¬ 
vented in the future. Cases are referred to the juvenile court only 
as a last resort after every other means of enforcing the law has 
been exhausted. However, the heavy loads which the attendance 
officers are carrying at the present time make intensive work dif¬ 
ficult, and cases can not always be followed up as promptly as their 
nature demands. With two additional attendance officers the aver¬ 
age load may be reduced with the confident expectation that the 
services of this department to the schools and the children will be 
improved. 

Attendance officers should also be granted a more liberal allow¬ 
ance for transportation than the two and one-half car tokens per 
day which the present allotment provides. The district of each at¬ 
tendance officer is so large that it can not be covered adequately 
without frequent use of street cars and busses. Consequently the 
officers have been obliged to supplement the meager car-fare allow¬ 
ance out of their own funds or waste valuable time in walking long 
distances. The prevailing practice in other cities is to reimburse at¬ 
tendance officers for their actual car-fare expenses incurred on official 
business, and it is suggested that the same plan be followed in 
Washington. 

At the present time the attendance department has no child-labor 
inspectors on its staff to enforce the provisions of the child-labor law 
of 1908. This law authorizes the commissioners to appoint two 
inspectors to enforce its provisions, and for many years two police 
officers were detailed to this work, but in June, 1925, when the 
present attendance department was established, they were with¬ 
drawn. The attendance officers report such violations as they occa¬ 
sionally come across in their day’s work, and these are vigorously 
prosecuted. But a regular staff of inspectors is required to enforce 
the provisions of the law relating to the posting of work permits, 
the prohibition of certain types of employment, the limitations on 
hours of work, and the regulation of street selling outside of school 
hours. Some of the provisions of the child-labor law are virtually 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 51 

a dead letter to-day because inspectors are not provided for the 
examination of places where children are employed. It is therefore 
recommended that the department of attendance and work permits 
be provided with two child-labor inspectors who shall enjoy the 
same rank and receive the same salary as attendance officers. 

Recommendation No. 8 .—An enlarged statistical office should be 
organized and placed in charge of a trained statistician, and the 
requisition of printing should be transferred from the office of 
statistics to the business manager’s office. 

At the present time the staff of the office of statistics consists of 
two statistical clerks who devote most of their time to the compila¬ 
tion of tables showing the distribution of teachers and pupils. In 
our opinion this office should be reorganized and placed in charge 
of a trained statistician, who is qualified to interpret the material he 
collects and to undertake research problems relating both to the edu¬ 
cational and business administration of the school system. The 
superintendent and his assistants must now spend considerable time 
each year in the analysis of statistical material which should be per¬ 
formed by the office of statistics. Furthermore, many essential 
studies have not been made because of the inadequate statistical 
organization. For example, the school census files contain a wealth 
of material which has never been used in connection with the selec¬ 
tion of sites for new buildings. Questions of school policy should 
not be settled upon the basis of mere opinion when exact data are 
available. But the data must be analyzed and interpreted, and for 
this purpose a statistician with an adequate clerical staff is essential. 
We therefore recommend three additional positions for the office of- 
statistical as follows: One statistician in grade P-3 ($3,000-$3,G00), 
and two statistical clerks, one in CAF-3 ($1,500-$1,860) and one in 
CAF-2 ($1,320-$1.680). _ _ 

The requisition of printing, which is now performed by the office 
of statistics, should be transferred to the business manager’s office 
because it is essentially a procurement function. In this connection 
the business manager should keep an index of current forms by title 
and number and a file containing a sample of each form. The adop¬ 
tion of this recommendation will centralize in one office the responsi¬ 
bility for procurement of all printing and will eliminate the over¬ 
lapping of functions which now exists between the office of statistics 
and the business manager’s office. 

Recommendation No. 9 .—The clerical pool should be transferred 
from the office of the first assistant superintendent (white) to the 
office of the business manager. 

At the present time the first assistant superintendent supervises 
the operations of the clerical pool at the Franklin administration 
building, evidently because the office occupied by the clerks is in 
close proximity to his own office. Since the clerical pool is a general 
service unit composed of stenographers and clerks serving all the 
administrative offices, it belongs more logically in the office of the 
business manager. 

Recommendation No. 10 .—The office of assistant superintendent in 
charge of buildings and grounds should be created to which should 
be transferred the responsibility for all work relating to the repair 
and alteration of school buildings and equipment and the supervision 
over the custodial and engineering forces of the school system. 


52 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

The responsibility for the repair and alteration of school build¬ 
ings is at present divided between the school officials and the 
municipal architect. The board of education determines the repair 
program, and the municipal architect is charged with its execution. 

Ordinary repairs and minor alterations are made by the District 
repair shop, a branch of the municipal architect’s office, which main¬ 
tains an average force of approximately 200 skilled tradesmen and 
laborers. In case of major alterations, such as the installation of new 
heating plants or the installation of complete new toilet facilities, 
plans are prepared by the office of the municipal architect in con¬ 
sultation with the school officials and contracts are left by the com¬ 
missioners in the same manner as with new building construction. 

Under this plan of handling repairs to buildings the requests for 
particular items originate for the most part with the principals in 
charge of the various school buildings. Such requests are approved 
by the supervisory educational officers concerned and finally by the 
business manager. These approvals are merely a matter of office 
routine. They do not in any sense constitute a real determination of 
needs, for they are not based upon an actual inspection of the facili¬ 
ties involved, except in occasional instances, and, moreover, the 
approving officers are not technically qualified to pass upon such 
matters, nor do they receive advice from anyone so qualified. On the 
other hand, the operations of the repair shop extend only to the 
supervision of the work ordered to be performed by the school 
authorities, and do not, except for the heating plants, include inspec¬ 
tion for the purpose of determining repair needs. An unsystematic 
and haphazard program of building repairs and alterations naturally 
results from such methods. (See Part VII.) 

It is believed that this condition should be remedied by transfer¬ 
ring to the school authorities the responsibility for the execution of 
the work relating to repairs and alterations of buildings. The direct 
supervision of this work should be placed in charge of a qualified 
mechanical engineer or architect of proved administrative ability, 
who would rank as an assistant superintendent of schools, coordinate 
with the business manager, to be known as the assistant superin¬ 
tendent in charge of buildings and grounds. Supervision over the 
custodial and engineering forces of the school system and the work 
of repair and replacement of furniture and equipment should also be 
assigned to the proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge 
of buildings and grounds. Under such a plan of organization all the 
activities of the school system relating to the operation and main¬ 
tenance of buildings, grounds, and equipment would be centralized 
in one technically qualified, responsible school official, who would be 
in a position to use his combined forces in such a manner as to pro¬ 
vide for more economical operation and systematic maintenance. 
Moreover, the assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and 
grounds would act as the technical advisor to the superintendent of 
schools and the Board of Education in all matters coming within his 
field of activity, and as the coordinator between the office of the 
municipal architect and the school system. 


PART III 

THE TEACHING STAFF 


Introduction. 

Educators are in general agreement that the size of a teaching staff 
must be determined not merely by the number of pupils enrolled nor 
by the organization of the pupils into grades and classes, but also by 
the character of the curriculum and the efficiency of the instruction. 
Certainly general averages of pupils per teacher for entire school 
systems are practically worthless because they conceal more than they 
reveal. Even a single average for elementary schools is of little value 
unless carefully analyzed into its constituent parts. In nearly all 
progressive cities there are four distinct groups of teachers in the 
elementary schools, namely, kindergartners, teachers of the regular 
grades from 1 to 8, teachers of special classes of handicapped chil¬ 
dren, and teachers of special subjects. In addition, there are fre¬ 
quently miscellaneous teachers, such as tutor, supplementary, re¬ 
search, and visiting teachers, who teach only part time or do not 
teach at all. Vocational schools, which are usually of elementary 
rank, also demand independent consideration. Then there are the 
junior high schools and senior high schools with peculiar problems 
of their own requiring individual analysis. Another factor of im¬ 
portance is the type of school organization, whether platoon or non¬ 
platoon, whether 8-4, 6-3-3, 9-3, or 6-6. Each of these groups must 
be studied separately, and when comparisons are made with other 
cities the several groups must be clearly distinguished. 

The following study of the teaching staff in the Washington schools 
is based, in the first place, upon a detailed analysis of teacher per¬ 
sonnel and pupil enrollment as of March 11, 1927. This date was 
selected in preference to the last day of the semester in June because 
conditions in March are more representative, since many children 
leave school during the closing weeks of the school year, and also 
because the enrollment figures which were gathered from other cities 
were for late March or early April. The second source of informa¬ 
tion is a series of four tables covering the past 10 years, which show 
(1) the number of teachers classified by types of schools, and (2) 
the enrollment of pupils classified as follows: Whole enrollment, 
average enrollment or average number belonging, and average attend- 
dance. 1 A word of explanation concerning these various enroll¬ 
ment figures and their uses will be given at this point, since we shall 
have occasion to refer to them frequently in the course of this report. 
Whole enrollment includes all children who have been on the rolls 
during a particular period although some may have died or left the 


3 The tables referred to will be found opposite p. 54. 


53 




54 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


city. “At date ” or actual enrollment is the number of children 
on the rolls as of a certain day. Average enrollment is the arithmetic 
mean of all the actual daily enrollments, and the average attendance 
is the arithmetic mean of the number of children present at each 
school session. The United States Bureau of Education uses only 
the whole enrollment and the average daily attendance in its biennial 
statistical report of city school systems, because they are definite 
figures and therefore comparable for all cities. On the other hand, 
actual enrollments and average enrollments vary to a considerable 
extent according to the length of time children are carried on the 
rolls. In some jurisdictions they are dropped after being absent 
several days, while in others they are carried indefinitely. Average 
enrollment is therefore undoubtedly the best figure to use when mak¬ 
ing comparisons within the same city for purposes of determining 
teacher needs or building needs, because it represents the number of 
children for whom accommodations must be provided. Actual en¬ 
rollments may also be used for this purpose if taken at the same time 
of year in each case. On the other hand, comparisons between cities 
must usually be based upon average daily attendance, and this is 
the figure which is invariably used in computing per capita costs. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


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* The enrollment in practice classes taught by normal-school teachers and in opportunity classes is included in these totals. During 1926-27 the average enrollment in practice 
classes was approximately 900 (750 white and 150 colored), and in opportunity classes approximately 730 (689 white and 41 colored). 



























































































56 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


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60 


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PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


63 


In making comparisons between the loads of Washington teachers 
and teachers in other cities, we have used extensively the following 
reports of the United States Bureau of Education: 

1. A preliminary study of teacher load in elementary schools, by 
Frank M. Phillips, chief Division of Statistics. 1927. 

2. Teaching load in 136 city high schools, City School Leaflet 
No. 9, June, 1923. 

3. Advance sheets of “Statistics of city school systems, 1925-1926,” 
the biennial bulletin of the United States Bureau of Education. 

Representatives of the Bureau of Efficiency also visited a number of 
cities in the same general population group as Washington and 
gathered detailed information concerning the organization and 
administration of schools as well as the loads of teachers. 

During a 10-year period from 1918 to 1927 the average enrollment 
in all the public schools of Washington increased from 51,748 to 
69,740, or 35 per cent. At the same time the teachers (including 
teaching principals) increased from 1,830 to 2,687, or 47 per cent. An 
analysis of these totals by schools is shown in the following table: 

Table showing by types of schools the average enrollment and the number of teachers 
for the years 1917-18 and 1926-27 and the percentage of increase 



Average enrollment 

Number of teachers 

Increases 

Schools 

1917-18 

1926-27 

1917-18 

1926-27 

Enroll¬ 

ment 

Teachers 

Kindergartens. . _ 

2,500 

42,373. 5 

316.3 
130.1 

} <'> { 
6,248 

180.3 

4, 209. 6 

45,803. 8 

1,013. 5 

744.7 

4,785.1 

1,463.4 
11,053.4 

686.8 

158 

1,280 

25 

20 

} « 

320 

27 

201 

1,508 
67 
50 

312 

503 

40 

Per cent 
68 

8 

220 

430 

77 

281 

Per cent 
27 

18 

170 

150 

57 

70 

Elementary schools: 

Grades 1 to 8_ 

Special schools_ 

Vocational schools.... 

Junior high schools: 

Grades 7, 8.. 

Grade 9_ 

Senior high schools, grades 9 to 12_ 

Normal schools, grades 13, 14_ 

Total_ 

51,748. 2 

69, 740. 3 

1,830 

2,687 

35 

47 


1 Junior high schools were not established until 1919-20. 


There are several reasons why the number of teachers has increased 
more rapidly than the enrollment. As far as the elementary schools 
are concerned the increase in teachers has resulted from— 

(1) The reduction in the number of oversize classes. 

(2) The establishment of small opportunity classes for dull children. 

(3) The creation of a group of supplementary and research teachers 
for the purpose of testing the intelligence of children and providing 
individual instruction for those who have fallen behind in their 
studies, and 

(4) The expansion of the staff of special subject teachers with the 
addition of several new subjects to the curriculum. 

Each of these items will be considered at length in the following 
section of the report under the heading “Elementary schools.” 

With reference to high schools it is interesting to note that the 
enrollment in the high-school grades (9 to 12) has increased much 
more rapidly than the enrollment in the elementary grades (1 to 8). 




























64 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OP COLUMBIA 

Between 1918 and 1927 the average enrollment in the high school 
grades increased over 100 per cent as compared with an increase of 
only 22 per cent in the elementary grades. Moreover, 50 per cent of 
the increase in the elementary grades was in grades 7 and 8 of the 
junior high schools. The recent increases in high-school enrollment 
have therefore been greater than in any other unit of the Washington 
public schools. 

The growth in secondary education has characterized school sys¬ 
tems throughout the country. In 1890 but 3 persons out of every 
1,000 in the United States attended high school, and in 1924 the num¬ 
ber had risen to 26 persons out of every 1,000. In 1924 Washington 
with 30 students in high school to each 1,000 of its population ranked 
nineteenth in this respect among all the States of the country. More¬ 
over, since 1924 the number of high-school students in Washington 
has increased from 30 to 32 to each 1,000 of its population. 

The large increase in the enrollment of Washington’s high schools, 
especially the junior high schools, is another reason for the increase 
in the number of teachers noted above. It is well known that junior 
high schools require more teachers in proportion to the number of 
pupils than do elementary schools. New subjects are added to the 
curriculum, specialists must be provided to teach them, and children 
are permitted a choice of electives. For these reasons classes are con¬ 
siderably smaller. There is no doubt that the enriched curriculum 
and the specialized instruction in junior high schools increases per 
capita costs both for teachers and for buildings. But the cities of the 
United States evidently consider the additional expense justified if the 
phenomenal growth of the junior high school movement is any 
criterion. 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

Introduction. 

Our discussion of the teaching staff of the elementary schools will 
be subdivided as follows: 

1. Kindergartens. 

2. Elementary schools (grades 1 to 8). 

3. Special schools and classes. 

4. Special subject teachers. 

5. Miscellaneous teachers. 

6. Vocational schools. 

7. Platoon schools. 

8. Summary of teacher requirements. 

The loads of these various types of teachers will be analyzed in 
detail and comparison made with the loads of similar teachers in other 
cities, and finally an estimate will be furnished of additional teachers 
needed in 1927-28 and 1928-29. 

The table on the following page shows the loads of elementary- 
school teachers in Washington and seven comparable cities which 
were surveyed by the Bureau of Efficiency. Teachers of regular 
grade classes in the Washington schools have an average load of 36 
pupils, which compares favorably with the loads of similar teachers 
in the other cities. However, when all teachers are included, Wash¬ 
ington is at the bottom of the list with an average of 27 pupils per 
teacher. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


65 


The main reasons for this difference are to be found in the unusu¬ 
ally large number of kindergarten teachers and teachers of special 
subjects carried on the Washington rolls. Both of these groups of 
teachers will be discussed at length in the following sections of the 
report. 


Table showing loads of elementary-school teachers in Washington and seven other 

cities, March-April, 1921 


{Note. —All averages are based upon actual enrollments, and with a single exception no platoon schools 

are included in the averages] 



Average number of pupils 
per regular classroom 
teacher 

Average 
number 
of pupils 
per 

Average 
size of 

City 

Kinder¬ 
garten 1 

Grades 

1-8 

Special 

schools 

and 

classes 1 

teacher 
(includ¬ 
ing all 
teach¬ 
ers)* 

elemen¬ 

tary 

schools 

Washington_______ 

19.3 

36 

18 

27 

441 

Rochester.__... 

40.1 

32.6 

19.9 

30.7 

766 

Newark.-... 

47 

14. 7 

4 35.5 

939 

Buffalo. ___ 

40 

33.1 

9 

28.6 

778 

St. Louis...... 

40.5 

15.2 

38.4 

684 

Cleveland.. 

45. 2 

37.2 

21. 5 

34.4 

839 

Minneapolis____ 

44.8 

37.4 

13.1 

34.8 

565 

Milwaukee... 

40.5 

42.7 

21.5 

38.4 

692 



1 In some cities kindergarteners teach only half a day and in others a full day. 

8 Special schools and classes include atypical or subnormal, open air, opportunity, deaf, blind, ungraded, 
incorrigible, speech correction, sight conservation, etc. 

3 In addition to regular classroom teachers this includes teachers of special subjects (manual training, 
music, physical training, etc.), coaching or tutor teachers, and research and visiting teachers. 

4 Average of 35.5 includes both platoon and nonplatoon schools. 


1. Kindergartens. 

In Washington the normal hours of kindergartens are from 9 
to 12 in the morning. On account of congested conditions in certain 
sections of the city some kindergartens still meet from 1 to 4 in the 
afternoon, but as additional rooms become available these kinder- 
fartens will be scheduled for the regular morning hours. Kinder¬ 
gartens uniformly teach only one session of three hours per day, 
although they are required to “render a full day of professional 
service,” to quote the policy adopted by the Board of Education 
on October 2, 1920. Prior to that time kindergarteners evidently 
served only there hours a day and were paid a lower salary than 
teachers of the first grade. But now all elementary school-teachers 
from the kindergarten through the eighth grade are in the same 
salary class, namely 1A, with a range from SI,400 to S2,200. 

With a few exceptions kindergartens having an enrollment of 30 
or more children are assigned two kindergarteners, designated as 
principal and assistant. The principal is in charge of the kinder¬ 
garten, and the assistant helps her in carrying out the program. 
The principal is usually the senior in point of service, but the actual 
duties of the two are practically identical except that the assistant 
usually plays the piano for the rhythms and games and during the 





















66 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

opening and closing exercises. A typical kindergarten program 
follows: 

9.00- 9.20—Morning circle. 

9.20- 9.30—Rhythms. 

9.30-10.15—Work period. 

10.15-10.30—Recess. 

10.30-11.00—Lunch and rest. 

11.00-11.10—Music. 

11.10-11.20—Songs or stories. 

11.20-11.50—Games. 

11.50-12.00—Dismissal. 

An analysis of the programs of about 200 kindergartners indicates 
that the afternoon hours from 1 to 3 (or the morning hours from 10 
to 12 in the case of afternoon kindergartens) are spent largely in 
planning and preparation for the next day’s work and in coaching 
individual children who return for special instruction. Some of the 
kindergartners also coach children in the lower grades and occasionally 
conduct grade classes in such subjects as handwork, rhythms, and 
stories. Other afternoon duties include occasional excursions with 
the children and visits to the homes of absentees. Many of the 
kindergartners likewise spend considerable time in so-called building 
activities such as eye testing, weighing and measuring underweight 
children, keeping the milk fund, playing the piano for school func¬ 
tions, and assisting the principal with her record work. The research 
departments have used a number of kindergartners during their free 
periods for intelligence testing in the lower grades. Once a month 
kindergartners are required to attend demonstration classes, and 
several times a month they meet with their director of kindergartens 
for discussion of classroom problems. 

On March 11, 1927, there were 113 kindergartens with 202 kinder¬ 
gartners, an average of one and three-quarters kindergartners per 
kindergarten. With one exception, each of the 84 kindergartens with 
enrollments of 30 or more had 2 kindergartners, and 5 kindergartens 
with less than 30 enrolled had 2 kindergartners each. The average 
number of pupils per kindergarten was 34.6, and the average number 
of pupils per kindergartner 19.3. Based upon the average enrollment 
of kindergartens during the entire school year 1926-27, which was 
4,209 as compared with 3,907 on March 11, 1927, the corresponding 
averages were 37.3 and 20.8. A tabulation is appended showing for 
both white and colored schools a distribution of classes according to 
size and according to the number of teachers assigned to each class 
on March 11, 1927. 

Table shouting the number of kindergarten classes and teachers, distributed according 

to class enrollment on March 11, 1927 


Number enrolled 

White 

Colored 

Total 

Classes 

Teachers 

Classes 

Teachers 

Classes 

Teachers 

11...._.. 

1 

1 



1 

1 

14..... 

1 

1 



1 

1 

15...... 

1 

1 



1 

1 

17____ 

1 

1 



1 

1 

18...... 

1 

2 



1 

2 

19..____ 

2 

2 



2 

2 

20_______ 

1 

1 



1 

1 

21... 

1 

1 



i 

i 































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 67 

Table showing the number of kindergarten classes and teachers, distributed according 
to class enrollment on March 11, 1927 —Continued 


Number enrolled 

White 

Colored 

Total 

Classes 

Teachers 

Classes 

Teachers 

Classes 

Teachers 

22....... 



1 

1 

] 

1 

23..... 

4 

4 



4 

4 

25.. 

3 

3 



3 

3 

26..._. 

2 

2 

1 

2 

3 

4 

27._... 



1 

2 

1 

2 

28..____ 

3 

4 

2 

4 

5 

8 

29.... 

2 

2 

1 

2 

3 

4 

30....... 

2 

4 

5 

10 

7 

14 

31...... 

1 

1 

4 

7 

5 

8 

32..... 

2 

4 

3 

6 

5 

10 

33... 

2 

4 



2 

4 

34..... 

2 

4 

4 

8 

6 

12 

35... 

2 

4 

2 

4 

4 

8 

36.... 

6 

12 

2 

4 

8 

16 

37......... 

1 

2 

2 

4 

3 

0 

38...... 

5 

10 

1 

2 

6 

12 

39........ 

2 

4 

3 

6 

5 

10 

40____ 

2 

4 

2 

4 

4 

8 

41..... 

4 

8 

1 

2 

5 

10 

-42....... 

3 

6 

3 

6 

6 

12 

43........ 

1 

2 



1 

2 

44.... 

3 

6 



3 

6 

45.... 

1 

2 



1 

2 

46.... 

2 

4 



2 

4 

47__ 

4 

8 



4 

8 

4S. 



1 

2 

1 

2 

49._____ 

1 

2 



1 

2 

50. 

2 

4 



2 

4 

51......... 

1 

2 



1 

2 

55......... 

2 

4 



2 

4 








Total___ 

74 

126 

39 

76 

113 

202 


Total pupils, 3,907; average pupils per class, 34.6; average pupils per teacher, 19.3. 


Over a 10-year period the average enrollment of kindergartens has 
increased more rapidly than the number of kindergartners. The 
actual increase in average enrollment between 1918 and 1927 was 
from 2,500 to 4,209, or 68 per cent, whereas the kindergartners 
increased from 158 to 201, or 27 per cent. 

However, in comparison with other cities Washington has a dis¬ 
proportionately large number of kindergartners. There are two 
reasons for this condition, namely (1) kindergartners in most cities 
teach two sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the 
afternoon, and (2) only one kindergartner is usually assigned to a 
kindergarten. Advance sheets of the United States Bureau of 
Education’s “Statistics of City School Systems, 1925-26” show that 
there is not another city among cities of 100,000 population and more 
which makes as liberal provision for kindergartners as does Wash¬ 
ington. The recent report of the United States Bureau of Education 
entitled “A Preliminary Keport of Teacher Load in Elementary 
Schools” states that all but 6 of 71 kindergarten teachers report 
full-day or double sessions. The average number of hours they 
spent in session with pupils was 3.867 as compared with 3 in Wash¬ 
ington, and the average number of pupils under their care was 28.7 
as compared with 19.3, and the average number of pupil-hours per 
week 555.7 as compared with 289.5. An independent investigation 
made by the Bureau of Efficiency of the schools in seven cities com¬ 
parable in size with Washington indicates the same general conditions, 
but the number of pupils per teacher was considerably higher than 


























































68 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


shown by the Bureau of Education. We are therefore forced to 
conclude that the kindergartners in Washington have a lighter 
teaching load than kindergartners in other cities, because for the 
most part they teach only one session a day, and because two teachers 
are assigned to the great majority of classes. They likewise have a 
lighter load than the grade teachers in Washington who average 
36 pupils per class, as will be shown later. 

Throughout the above discusson on the loads of Washington 
kindergartners no consideration has been given to the duties per¬ 
formed by them during the two hours when they are relieved of 
regular class work. This is in accordance with the practice of the 
Bureau of Education which considers only the hours actually spent 
with pupils in the classroom when figuring teacher loads. Some of 
the afternoon work of kindergartners, such as coaching backward 
pupils, might be evaluated in terms of pupil hours and added to their 
loads. But the time spent in coaching and the number of pupils 
coached varies so widely as to make such a computation exceedingly 
difficult. In any event, the disproportion pointed out above would 
still exist because a large proportion of the afternoon hours are spent 
in nonteaching activities. Most of these activities are educational 
in character, but some of them, such as planning work, preparing 
materials, and attending conferences, are required of all teachers and 
normally should be performed after regular school hours. 

The present policy with reference to kindergartens has existed for 
many years. As indicated above, it involves large classes with two 
teachers and one teaching session of three hours in the morning. The 
large classes have been made necessary by a lack of classroom accom¬ 
modations, but in our opinion the assignment of two teachers to a 
class of 30 is excessive. However, two teachers for kindergarten 
classes with enrollments of 40 or more children is a reasonable 
standard. We are also convinced that the morning hours from 
9 to 12, both from a hygienic and educational standpoint, are nor¬ 
mally the best hours for conducting kindergarten classes. Parents 
are generally opposed to sending their children to afternoon classes 
because they are tired from their morning’s play when they arrive 
at school. There is another objection to the two-session plan as 
operated by other cities in that it involves shorter sessions of two 
or at most two and one-half hours for individual children. 

Since kindergartners are required to serve a full day of five hours, 
and only three are spent in regular classroom instruction, the prob¬ 
lem which now presents itself is how shall the other two hours be 
spent to the best advantage. The school authorities have attempted 
to solve this problem by requiring kindergartners to encourage slow 
children to return for coaching in the afternoon. But this plan has 
met with only moderate success on account of the objection of par¬ 
ents to afternoon sessions. In a few schools kindergartners qualified 
to teach primary subjects have been assigned to coaching first and 
second grade children. The recent addition of a year to the normal 
course has resulted in the formulation of plans by the superintendent 
for a three-year kindergarten-primary course, which will qualify its 
graduates to teach both in the kindergarten and the primary grades. 
But there are undoubtedly a large number of kindergartners now in 
the system who can coach primary children, and they should be 
assigned to this work when necessary. In other words, the kinder- 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 69 

gartners in their afternoon hours should be considered as supplemen¬ 
tary teachers for the primary grades, since the present supplementary 
teachers do not as a rule coach children under the third grade. 

Our study of the programs of kindergartners indicates that the 
scheduling of their afternoon hours should be more carefully super¬ 
vised. In a number of instances kindergartners reported no regular 
afternoon duties or only preparation for the next day’s work. In 
our opinion kindergartners should prepare their work and attend 
conferences after school hours as other teachers do. Most of the 
other afternoon activities, such as intelligence testing, eye testing, 
weighing and measuring anemic children, etc., seem entirely legiti¬ 
mate from an educational standpoint, but visiting the homes of 
absent children is the function of the attendance department. 

AVe therefore recommend (1) that no additional kindergartners be 
provided until such time as the present excess has been absorbed either 
by the opening of new kindergartens or by transferring to the grades 
kindergartners holding elementary school licenses; and (2) that the 
afternoon programs of kindergartners be more carefully supervised 
so as to increase the time devoted to coaching primary children. 

2. Elementary Schools (Grades 1 to 8). 

At the present time Washington is in a state of transition from the 
8-4 plan of organization (8 elementary grades and 4 high school 
grades) to the 6-3-3 plan (6 elementary grades, 3 junior high school 
grades, and 3 senior high school grades). Less than one-half of the 
elementary schools still have the full eight grades and the others have 
only six grades. Eventually all except a few outlying schools will 
lose their seventh and eighth grades to the junior high schools. 

Since 1923, classes in all grades have been organized on the basis of 
a five-hour day. Prior to that time the regular school day for chil¬ 
dren in grades 1 and 2 was three or three and one-half hours per day. 
There are still a number of part-time first and second grade classes in 
certain congested sections of the city meeting from 9 to 12.30 or 
from 1 to 4.30. As additional rooms become available these part- 
time classes will be converted into full-day classes meeting from 
9 to 12 and 1 to 3. 

The elementary schools are organized on the traditional plan of 
one teacher to a class and one class to a room. However, it is often 
necessary to assign children of more than one grade to a single 
teacher because there are not enough children of one grade to form a 
class of normal size. 

The grade teacher is responsible for teaching the following subjects: 
Handwriting, language (composition and grammar), spelling and 
word analysis, reading and literature, arithmetic, history and civics, 
geography, elementary science, drawing, music, physical training, 
and hygiene. In elementary science, drawing, music, and physical 
training she is assisted by special teachers who give demonstration 
lessons to her class in their particular subjects on the average of 
once every three weeks. Manual arts (joinery, sewing, housekeeping, 
and cooking) are taught for the most part in special centers, and the 
grade teacher assumes no responsibility for the teaching of these 
subjects. 


70 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Below is the standard time schedule which has been adopted for 
the elementary schools. 

Weekly program, public schools of the District of Columbia 
[Time schedule—1.500 minutes] 


Grades 



1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Opening exercises_ 

100 

90 

50 

75 

50 

50 

50 

50 

50 

Handwriting_ 

75 

75 

75 

60 

60 

30 

30 

70 

Music_____ 

90 

80 

60 

60 

75 

70 

70 

Recess___ 

90 

75 

125 

125 

125 

125 

125 

125 

Physical training___ 

100 

100 

75 

75 

100 

90 

90 

90 

Drawing........ 

120 

120 

90 

90 

90 

80 

80 

80 

Manual arts.... 

45 

45 

60 

150 

180 

180 

Hygiene__ 

10 

10 

30 

30 

25 

25 

25 

25 

Geography... 

60 

80 

1 130 

i 150 

» 140 

1 105A 

Elementary science.. 

60 

60 

75 

80 

40 

40 

40 

40 

Arithmetic..... 

35 

150 

215 

215 

i 200 

i 185 

1 175 

> 150 

Algebra.... 

1 105B 

History and civics___ 

30 

40 

70 

75 

80 

i 120 

i 120 

i 140 

i 150 

Language... 

90 

100 

100 

i 150 

> 150 

■ 150 

i 200 

Reading and literature_ 

500 

475 

275 

245 

i 170 

i 120 

i 120 

1 120 

Spelling and word analysis_ 

60 

60 

75 

75 

75 

60 

60 

60 

TJnassigned time..1... 

120 

75 

75 

75 

30 

25 

25 

25 

Dismissal___ 

20 

20 








Total... 

1,500 

1,500 

1, 500 

1,500 

1, 500 

1,500 

1,500 

1,500 



1 A minimum of 20 minutes less, or a maximum of 20 minutes more is allowable under exceptional con¬ 
ditions upon the recommendation of the administrative principal and the approval of supervising principal 


Teachers are required to prepare their programs so as to allot the 
specified number of minutes each week to the various subjects. 
Typical programs indicating the proper order of studies are also fur¬ 
nished teachers by the departments of primary instruction. An 
examination of over 1,200 programs indicates that for the most part 
they have been carefully prepared according to specifications, making 
due allowance for a certain amount of flexibility. The programs of 
teachers of part-time classes show that the hour and one-half from 
10.30 to 12 in the morning or from 1 to 3 in the afternoon is devoted 
largely to coaching slow pupils in their own classes or in other 
primary grades. 

According to the rules of the Board of Education, “so far as prac¬ 
ticable not more than 40 pupils shall be assigned to one teacher in the 
elementary schools.’’ But due to a shortage of classrooms there are 
still a considerable number of classes with enrollments of over 40, 
although the great majority are under that figure. Two tables are 
appended showing the average number of pupils per teacher for each 
grade and a distribution of classes according to the number of pupils 
enrolled on March 11, 1927. In the white schools these averages 
range from 32.8 for the second grade to 37 for the fourth grade, the 
general average for all grades being 34.9. In the colored schools the 
averages range from 35.7 for classes of two or more grades to 38.8 for 
the third and fourth grades, the general average for all grades being 
37.9. The general average for all classes both white and colored is 
36. An analysis of the 1,173 classes included shows that 902 have 
enrollments of 40 or less and 271 have enrollments of 41 or more. 



































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 71 


Table showing average number of pupils enrolled on March 11, 1927, per elementary- 

school teacher oj regular classes 


Grades 

White 

Colored 

White 
and. 
colored 

1 .._ 

33.5 

36.9 

34.8 

2 ...__ 

32.8 

38.6 

35.0 

3.... 

35.1 

38.8 

36.5 

4_ 

36.8 

38.8 

37.5 

5. 

36.2 

38.5 

36.9 


Grades 

White 

Colored 

White 

and 

colored 

6...._. 

35.2 

37.4 

35.9 

7__ 

37.0 

38.2 

37.3 

8..... 

35.8 

37.8 

36.2 

Mixed_ 

32.9 

35.7 

33.9 

All grades _ 

34.9 

37.9 

36.0 



Table showing distribution of regular classes according to the number of pupils 

enrolled on March 11, 1927 


Number en¬ 
rolled 

White 

Col¬ 

ored 

Total 
number 
of regu¬ 
lar 

classes 

Total 

enroll¬ 

ment 

16.. 

1 


1 

16 

18.. 

1 


1 

18 

19..... 

2 


2 

38 

20__ 

1 

1 

2 

40 

21... 

4 


4 

84 

22. 

6 


6 

132 

23_ 

11 


11 

253 

24.... 

11 


11 

264 

25___ 

9 

4 

13 

325 

26. 

15 

5 

20 

520 

27_ 

28 

2 

30 

810 

28_ 

21 

3 

24 

672 

29.... 

32 

4 

36 

1,044 

30...__ 

38 

13 

51 

1,530 

31__ 

29 

16 

45 

1, 395 

32..... 

48 

23 

71 

2, 272 

33... 

37 

23 

60 

1,980 

34_ 

56 

20 

76 

2,584 

35_ 

41 

30 

71 

2,485 


Number en¬ 
rolled 

White 

Col¬ 

ored 

Total 
number 
of regu¬ 
lar 

classes 

Total 

enroll¬ 

ment 

36_ 

35 

25 

60 

2,160 

37..... 

50 

23 

73 

2,701 

38__ 

69 

25 

94 

3, 572 

39___ 

48 

24 

72 

2, 808 

40_ 

43 

25 

68 

2, 720 

41.. 

28 

21 

49 

2,009 

42..... 

34 

30 

64 

2,688 

43. 

26 

24 

50 

2,150 

44... 

15 

21 

36 

1,584 

45... 

12 

19 

31 

1, 395 

46__ 

7 

4 

11 

506 

47.. 

4 

10 

14 

658 

48..... 

2 

6 

8 

384 

49_ 

1 

3 

4 

196 

50. 


2 

2 

100 

52__ 


2 

2 

104 

Total_ 

765 

408 

1,173 

42,197 


Note.—T he above table includes classes taught by teaching principals, but does not include teachers at 
he Park View platoon school. 


At the present time Washington compares favorably with other 
cities in the United States with respect to the load of its regular 
elementary-school teachers. This conclusion is based upon two 
studies, one made by the Bureau of Education in 1926, covering 117 
cities selected to represent all the States and cities of the various 
sizes, 2 and the other made by the Bureau of Efficiency, covering six 
cities in the same population group as Washington. 

The average load of the regular elementary-school teachers in 
Washington is 900 pupil-hours per week, based on a class of 36 and 
a five-hour day, five days a week. This is a higher average than the 
average for any grade shown in the study of the Bureau of Education 
referred to above. However, the Bureau of Education’s question¬ 
naire was not quite clear as to whether attendance or enrollment 
should be considered as the basis for the number of pupils. Un¬ 
doubtedly some teachers indicated the number of pupils on their 
rolls while others listed the actual number in attendance. But even 
if we reduce the above averages from an actual enrollment to an 


! A Preliminary Study of Teacher Load in Elementary Schools, by Frank M..Phillips, chief, Division 
of Statistics, U. S. Bureau of Education. 
































































































72 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


average attendance basis by reducing them 8 per cent, Washington is 
still above the average in nearly all grades, both in number of pupils 
and in number of pupil-hours, as the following table will show. 


Table showing loads of regular elementary-school teachers in 117 cities and in 

W ashington 

[Based upon Bureau of Education’s preliminary study of teacher load in elementary schools] 


Grade 

Average number of pupils 

Average number of pupil- 
hours 

117 cities 

Washington 

117 cities 

Washington 

1. 

32.7 

34.8 

741.9 

800.4 

2... 

. 33.2 

35.0 

788.0 

805.0 

3. 

33.3 

36.5 

847.0 

839.5 

4_ 

34.6 

37.5 

895.7 

862.5 

5. 

34.1 

36.9 

890.1 

848.7 

6... 

33.4 

35.9 

869.6 

825.7 

7.. 

30.3 

37.3 

781.8 

857.9 

8_ 

29.2 

33.9 

762.6 

779.7 


The Bureau of Efficiency’s investigation of teacher loads in six 
cities shows that Washington’s regular elementary school teachers 
carry loads of about the average for these cities. In one of the cities 
the average number of pupils per teacher is over 42 because most of 
the classes are oversize according to the Washington standard. The 
actual averages in the six cities were 32.6, 33.1, 40.5, 37.2, 37.4, and 
42.7, as compared with 36 for Washington. 

As shown by the above tabulation of classes according to the 
number of pupils enrolled in the Washington schools there are a 
number of classes with less than 30 pupils. Several reasons may be 
indicated for these undersize classes. With few exceptions Wash¬ 
ington has more elementary schools in proportion to its school popu¬ 
lation than any city of its size. This is due to the fact that Wash¬ 
ington is a residential city and has a low density of population 
(8,030 per square mile) in comparison with such industrial cities as 
Newark, Buffalo, Jersey City, and St. Louis with 19,421, 14,237, 
24,252, and 13,457, respectively. The dual system of white and 
colored schools is another factor contributing to the large number of 
small school buildings scattered throughout the city, although it is 
usually possible to organize the colored schools with larger classes 
because the population is more concentrated. Small schools of this 
nature are always more difficult to organize with full classes than 
large schools serving more densely populated areas. On this account 
the Board of Education has adopted a standard plan for its new 
elementary schools with twice the number of regular classrooms con¬ 
tained in the old schools. Whenever possible, two neighboring 
schools of the old type are organized as a single school in order to 
utilize the largest possible number of sittings. 

The shifting nature of the white and colored population also results 
occasionally in reducing the size of classes, as witness the Toner, 
Ross, and Gage Schools. Then again there are sparsely populated 
districts on the outskirts of the city which can not supply a sufficient 
number of children to fill the standard quota. Such districts are 
served by the Stanton, Garfield, and Keene Schools. Finally, it fre- 

























PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 73 

quently happens that in a particular school there are too many 
pupils for one teacher, but not enough to supply the full quota for 
two. 

In conclusion, it is our opinion that the school officials have at¬ 
tempted to organize the regular grade classes as far as practicable 
on the basis of a standard of 40 pupils. However, there are still 
many part-time and oversize classes due not to a shortage of teachers 
but to the lack of sufficient classrooms. As new classrooms are 
acquired additional teachers will be needed in the grades to reduce 
oversize classes and provide for the regular increase in enrollment 
resulting from the natural growth of the city. 

3. Special Schools and Classes. 

Special schools and classes include the three following groups: 

1. Atypical, ungraded, health, speech improvement, and open 
window. 

2! Americanization. 

3. Opportunity. 

The first or subnormal group is composed of children with definite 
mental or physical handicaps. Atypical children are mentally 
deficient to such a degree as to be unable to profit by instruction in 
regular classes, but still they are not feeble-minded in the sense that 
they should be confined in institutions as a social menace. With 
instruction by special teachers who are qualified to adjust courses 
of study and methods to individual needs, these children may con¬ 
fidently be expected to become self-supporting members of society 
The ungraded classes are composed for the most part of incorrigible 
children who present special behavior problems. With proper 
diagnosis and treatment they can usually be adjusted to lead normal 
lives, whereas if left to themselves they might become juvenile 
delinquents. The health schools have been established for the care 
and instruction of children who are suffering from tuberculosis of a 
contagious nature and must therefore be segregated. Open window 
classes provide special facilities for underweight and anemic children, 
and speech improvement classes are organized for the purpose of 
curing children with defects of speech such as lisping and stammering. 

There are two types of organization for special instruction, namely, 
special centers occupying entire buildings and single classes in regular 
elementary schools. The two health schools, one white and one 
colored, are necessarily housed in special buildings, but the two 
open-window classes make use of regular classrooms in standard 
buildings. Speech improvement teachers are assigned small groups 
in a number of schools and use whatever rooms are available. Atypi¬ 
cal and ungraded classes are organized according to both plans. In 
the white schools the majority of the classes are located in special 
buildings, while in the colored schools virtually all the classes are 
assigned rooms in regular schools. Both types of organization have 
their special advocates, but it is unnecessary at this tune to enter 
into a discussion of the arguments for and against segregation of 
subnormal children. In our opinion there is a place for both types 
of organization in a city as large as Washington. 


74 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Atypical and ungraded classes now located in special buildings are 
for the most part poorly housed in condemned schools and in rented 
buildings. The handwork activities provided for these classes both 
in special or regular building also seems inadequate, especially in 
view of the fact that most of these children are motor-minded and 
many of them will later enter the trades. 

The Washington Health School for white children is a model of 
its kind, but the Harrison Health School for colored children is an 
old elementary school building poorly adapted to its present purpose. 
The grounds are inadequate, the backyards adjoining the grounds 
are insanitary, there are no baths, and the basement is damp. The 
United States Public Health Service will report later in more detail 
on the organization and management of both the health schools and 
the open window classes. 

There is one Americanization school (white) where foreigners are 
taught English and prepared for citizenship. Classes are held. at 
various hours of the day and evening to meet the needs of students, 
and a few classes are conducted in the homes for the benefit of women 
who are unable to leave their households. 

All the above special classes are organized under two supervising 
principals, one white and one colored, who are in charge of the ninth 
and twelfth divisions, respectively. The opportunity classes, how¬ 
ever, are not under their supervision. They are organized as needed 
in particular schools for the instruction of retarded children, who for 
various reasons have been unable to keep pace with the regular classes. 
Usually they are below average in mentality and some of them suffer 
from emotional instability. If left to compete with children of their 
own age they often become habitual repeaters and develop exag¬ 
gerated inferiority complexes. It is therefore economical to assign 
small groups of such slow children to specially trained teachers who 
can carry them along at their own best pace. 

There were 105 teachers of special classes on March 11, 1927, dis¬ 
tributed as follows: 


Atypical_ 24 

Ungraded_ 19 

Health_ 5 

Open window_ 2 

Opportunity_ 38 


Americanization_ 6 

Speech correction_ 10 

Special typing_ 1 


Total.....105 


In addition several manual arts teachers were assigned full time 
to instruction of special classes of atypical, ungraded, and tubercular 
children. A tabulation is attached showing the distribution of 
special classes by kind and size in both the white and colored schools. 
The speech correction teachers are not included in this table because 
they are itinerant teachers and much of their instruction is of an 
individual nature. The Americanization teachers are likewise 
omitted but for an exactly opposite reason because their classes are 
unusually large and vary considerably in size. 













PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 75 

Table showing distribution of special classes according to number enrolled in each 

type of class on March 11, 1927 



Average number of pupils per teacher: 

Atypical classes__•_____14.3 

Ungraded classes................14.3 

Opportunity classes_________21.4 

All special classes____18.0 


The average loads of special teachers is rather difficult to compute 
on a pupil-hour basis because the hours of their classes are not uni¬ 
form. The average number of pupils of all special teachers (excluding 
Americanization and speech-correction teachers) is 18. Teachers of 
atypical classes average 14.3, teachers of ungraded classes, 14.3, and 
teachers of opportunity classes 21.4. Atypical classes range in size 
from 7 to 19, ungraded classes from 8 to 25, and opportunity classes 
from 13 to 33. 

During the last 10 years there has been a steady growth in the 
enrollment of special classes, and the number of special teachers has 
increased in about the same proportion as the enrollment. Ten 
years ago the average enrollment in special classes was only 316, and 
in 1926-27 it was over 1,500. The main reason for this increase is 
the emphasis of modern education upon individual differences and 
the development of a tool in the intelligence test which has made 
possible the determination of such differences for purposes of classify¬ 
ing children. 

The average loads of special teachers as indicated above compare 
favorably with those of other cities. In comparison with 18 for 

88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-6 






























































































76 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Washington, the United States Bureau of Education’s “Preliminary 
study of teacher load in elementary schools” indicates an average of 
15.8 for a group of 21 teachers of opportunity, subnormal, and 
retarded classes. The Bureau of Efficiency’s investigation of teacher 
loads in seven cities indidcates that the average load of Washington’s 
special teachers is about midway between the top and bottom of the 
list of averages, which are as follows: 9, 13.1, 14.7, 15.2, 18 (Wash¬ 
ington), 19.9, 21.5, and 21.5. An average of 15 to 20 seems reasonable 
and it is evidently the commonly accepted standard. 

In conclusion, it may be stated that Washington has recognized 
the problem of the subnormal and handicapped child and compares 
favorably with other cities in the provision which it has made for 
instruction in special schools and classes. But this provision can by 
no means be termed adequate. There is need for the establishment 
of additional special school centers, both white and colored, with 
adequate facilities for teaching handwork and manual arts. There 
is no doubt that the special school center permits of a more economical 
use of both teachers and equipment. The small classes noted above 
with enrollments of seven, eight, and nine pupils could be combined 
with the larger classes to make classes or normal size. However, it 
may be necessaiy to provide transportation in the way of busses or 
street-car tokens for those children who are required to travel any 
great distance from their homes to these centers, as is now done in 
the case of tubercular children. 

Other needs that may be mentioned are a new colored health school, 
additional open-air classes, and more opportunity classes in the 
colored schools. Many cities have established sight-conservation 
classes but Washington has no class of this nature, although its need 
has been demonstrated and school officials have given the subject 
considerable study. 

4. Special-Subject Teachers. 

In 1906 the Senate Committee of the District of Columbia reported 
that— 

Washington ranks very high in special instruction given in its public schools. 
In cooking teachers, for example, we rank fourth, in number of sewing teachers 
we rank third, in manual training fourth, physical training fifth, music and draw¬ 
ing teachers we rank second; that is, there is only one other city in the country 
that exceeds Washington in the number of music and drawing teachers. In 
short, we have 107 special teachers in the District of Columbia, and 12 directors 
of these special teachers, w r ho are assisting in the teaching of music, drawing, 
domestic science, domestic art, physical culture, and kindergarten. 

Bear in mind that the regular grade teacher does the teaching to the pupil, 
the special teacher is to teach the teacher, and the director is to direct the teacher 
of the teacher that teaches the children. Your committee has no doubt that 
these special teachers are doing good work and are deserving. However, they 
are fully persuaded that there are more than are necessary, and the very high 
showing that Washington makes as compared with other cities that are much 
larger even than Washington, in this particular, demonstrates that we have 
gone clear beyond any other city. This is a matter, however, that the Board of 
Education and the superintendent of schools should handle as a matter of detail. 
They should give it attention with an eye to the welfare of the schools and also 
with a proper consideration of the expense to the District. Too much of “special 
subjects” is not only expensive financially but is also expensive to the time and 
energy of the pupils. (P. 2, Report No. 3974, 59th Cong., 1st sess., entitled 
“Salaries of Teachers, etc., District of Columbia.”) 


PTBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 77 

The condition described above as existing in 1906 still exists to a 
large extent at the present time. In the intervening years the special 
teachers have nearly doubled in number and two new subjects 
(elementary science and visual education) have been added to the 
list. There are two types of special teachers—itinerant and special 
center. The itinerant teachers travel from one school to another 
and teach their subjects in the regular classrooms in the presence of 
the grade teachers. The subjects taught in this manner are music, 
drawing, and physical training in grades 1 to 8, elementary science 
in grades 4 to 8, and sewing in grades 3, 4, and 5. Special center 
teachers include the following teachers of manual arts: Manual 
training, domestic science, and domestic art. For the most part 
these teachers have their own rooms to which the children report 
for instruction. There is a director for each special subject in both 
the white and the colored schools who is responsible for the course 
of study and for the supervision of instruction. 

The itinerant special teacher is essentially a teacher and not a 
supervisor. Her lessons are in the nature of models, since she is 
expected to demonstrate approved methods of teaching the subject 
for the benefit of the grade teacher. She also interprets the course 
of study and usually indicates the subjects to be covered prior to 
her next visit. The visits of the itinerant teachers vary in the differ¬ 
ent subjects from once every two weeks to once every four weeks, 
and individual lessons average from 30 to 60 minutes. On the other 
hand, the official time schedule requires that music, drawing, physical 
training and elementary science shall each be taught on an average 
of about 80 minutes per week. Itinerant teachers as a whole teach 
less than 20 per cent of the time allotted to special subjects. The 
regular grade teacher is the person primarily responsible for instruc¬ 
tion in these subjects, since she must teach over 80 per cent of the 
time allotment. In the last analysis, therefore, the effectiveness of 
the teaching of music, drawing, physical training, and elementary 
science depends upon the knowledge and skill of the grade teacher. 

The fundamental defect of such a system is that it does not provide 
for adequate supervision of the work done in the special subjects by 
the grade teacher. In only one subject is any attempt made by the 
special teachers to inspect the methods and results of the latter’s 
instruction. The physical-training teachers in the white schools 
spend part of each period in observing the grade teachers conduct the 
prescribed lesson, and this observation forms the basis of suggestions 
for improvement and for an efficiency rating at the end of the school 
year. No attempt is made by other special teachers to pass upon 
the quality of the grade teachers’ instruction, except incidentally 
through the progress shown by the children. While the special 
teacher is in charge of the class, the regular teacher is supposed to 
observe carefully her methods and to assist her when necessary, but 
in several instances teachers were seen working at their desks or 
sitting in the back of the room marking papers. Many of the grade 
teachers are just as well qualified to teach the special subjects as the 
special teachers themselves. Obviously in their cases periodical 
demonstration lessons are unnecessary. In other cases the demon¬ 
stration lessons are of dubious value if the teachers are not checked 
up regularly on their work. 


78 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

The manual-arts group of special teachers differs in several funda¬ 
mental respects from the itinerant group just described. They teach 
their subjects of manual training, sewing, cooking, and housekeeping 
at specially equipped centers; they teach only children in grades 6, 7, 
and 8; and they teach the full time allotted to manual arts without 
any assistance from grade teachers. The centers are located in 
various schools throughout the District, each center usually serving 
a number of schools in the neighborhood. In many cases children 
must walk a half mile or more from their school to the center. The 
large schools, such as Brown and Mott, have centers of their own 
which serve only the pupils in the one building. 

The official time schedule shows the following number of minutes 
allotted to manual arts in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively: 
45, 45, 60, 150, 180, and 180. In grades 3, 4, and 5, manual arts for 
girls consists of sewing, which is taught by itinerant teachers in regular 
classrooms. No corresponding activity has been provided for boys, 
and the grade teacher usually keeps them occupied with some quiet 
study during the sewing lesson. It should also be mentioned that 
sewing has been dropped from the third grade in the colored schools, 
and that some classes in both white and colored schools are visited 
by sewing teachers only every other week. In grades 6, 7, and 8 the 
girls receive their full allotment of time, one half in sewing and the 
other half in housekeeping or cooking. The boys, however, receive 
only half of their allotment in manual training, which means wood¬ 
work. Special center programs are usually worked out so as not to 
leave a grade teacher without at least part of her class. In a typical 
class of 40 pupils there will be 20 boys and 20 girls. Ten of the girls 
will go to the sewing center at 9 o’clock and 10 to the cooking center, 
while 10 boys will go to the manual training center at 9 o’clock and 
10 will stay in their home rooms, and at 10.30 the two groups of boys 
and girls will change places. The grade teacher usually devotes 
the 90 minutes during which she has only one-half her class of boys to 
individual instruction in their weak subjects. 

A study of the programs of special teachers indicates that for the 
most part their time is fully occupied. Not much time is lost in 
traveling, because teachers usually spend a full day at each school. 
However, it happens occasionally that lessons must be omitted 
because of some change in the school’s program for the day, and these 
lessons are seldom made up. 

During the last 10 years the number of special teachers has in¬ 
creased much more rapidly than the number of pupils. In 1917-18 
there were 133 special teachers, and on March 11, 1927, there were 
205, an increase of over 50 per cent while the average enrollment 
increased only 9 per cent. 3 One reason for this increase is the addi¬ 
tion of several new subjects, and another reason is the greater 
emphasis which has been laid on special subjects in recent years. 
The following table shows the distribution of directors and teachers 
according to subjects in both the white and the colored schools: 


* The number of directors of special subjects has remained the same, namely, 12. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 79 


Table showing distribution of directors and teachers of special subjects on March 

11, 1927 


Subject 

Teachers 

Directors 

Total 

White 

Colored 

White 

Colored 

Drawing.. 

11 

5 

1 

1 

18 

Music..... 

16 

7 

1 

1 

25 

Physical training... 

9 

6 

1 

1 

17 

Manual training.... 

24 

9 

1 

1 

35 

Domestic science.. 

28 

12 

1 

1 

42 

Domestic art_____ 

33 

13 

1 


47 

Elementary science... 

17 

8 


1 

26 

Visual education.. ___ 

3 

1 



4 

Penmanship.. 


1 



1 

Auditorium....... 

1 

1 



2 

Total......... 

142 

63 

6 

6 

217 


Finally we come to the question, why special teachers? Relatively 
few teachers in charge of the regular classes had the technical knowl¬ 
edge necessary to teach music, drawing, physical training, and 
manual arts when these subjects were first introduced into the 
schools. The curriculum of the standard two-year normal course 
was already crowded, and no serious attempt w T as made to supply 
this deficiency in the teacher’s training. Moreover, it was felt that 
teachers of subjects like music and drawing required a special native 
talent and special training, which could not be provided in the 
regular normal-school course. There is no doubt that it requires an 
exceptional teacher to teach adequately all the subjects in the modern 
elementary-school curriculum. The weekly program reproduced on 
page 70 lists 13 subjects vdiich are taught in all grades above the 
second. Furthermore, the reorganization of the elementary school 
curriculum has resulted in the allotment of more time to play, 
physical training, drawing, music, the industrial arts, and to the 
content subjects, such as history and geography. According to the 
1926 report of the Commissioner of Education— 

the relative amount of time given to the three R’s has diminished from 57.55 
per cent of the total weekly allotment in 1904 to 50.58 per cent, while the content 
subjects have increased from 14.42 to 15.53 per cent and the special subjects 
from 27.97 to 33.89 per cent. If, however, the increased school year is taken 
into account the three R’s receive practically as much time as they ever did. 

Various plans have been adopted by the schools of the country to 
solve the educational problem of the modern city which has resulted 
from this enrichment of the curriculum. The work-study-play or 
platoon plan of organization has been adopted by many cities as a 
solution of the problem. It is claimed that this plan makes possible 
an enriched curriculum of music, art, physical training, manual 
training, etc., without affecting results in the three R’s and without, 
increased cost. 4 As far as the seventh and eighth grades are con¬ 
cerned, the junior high school has solved the problem by means of 
the departmental system. Various experiments with modifications 
of the platoon and departmental plans are being conducted by several 
cities for the purpose of determining which is better adapted to local 
needs. Washington has taken a step in the right direction by grad- 


4 The platoon plan is discussed in more detail in a following section of this report. 





































80 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


ually transferring the seventh and eighth grades to junior high 
schools, but the problem of specialized instruction in the other six 
grades still remains to be solved. Moreover, the transfer of the sev¬ 
enth and eighth grades to the junior high schools has raised another 
problem in connection with the future use of the manual arts centers. 

There is no doubt that the present condition with reference to 
special teachers in the elementary schools of Washington is unsatis¬ 
factory, resulting as it does in both a duplication of teacher service 
and a loss of instructional space. School officials have been working 
on this problem for some time, and now that the normal course has 
been increased from two to three years it seems in fair way of solution. 
Additional training may now be provided in subjects like music, 
drawing, physical training, and elementary science, so that normal- 
school graduates in the future will be qualified to teach these subjects 
without the assistance of itinerant special teachers. As far as the 
manual arts are concerned, a plan is at present being developed for 
the introduction of a program of industrial arts in the lower grades, 
which will give both boys and girls the full-time allotment in manual 
arts and at the same time provide a use for the special centers. Some 
form of platooning or departmentalization, however, seems necessary 
in order that teachers may specialize in those subjects for which they 
are best fitted and that the pupils may have the advantage of expert 
instruction in all subjects. If such a plan is adopted it will undoubt¬ 
edly be possible to assign a number of the itinerant special teachers 
to particular schools where they will teach the full-time allotment in 
their respective subjects. 

For purposes of supervision the itinerant teachers should in our 
opinion eventually be replaced by a much smaller number of assist¬ 
ants to the directors, who will serve as inspectors and instructors of 
special subjects in the same way that the assistants in primary instruc¬ 
tion now serve for regular subjects. Such assistants should be 
specialists in their particular fields and should be paid accordingly. 
Their functions will be to visit teachers in their classrooms regularly 
and observe the quality of their teaching, to take charge of classes 
if necessary and give demonstration lessons, and to conduct group 
meetings for the instruction of teachers who are weak in subject 
matter or method. It is our belief that such a plan will result in 
better all-round instruction in the special subjects and in more econom¬ 
ical administration by eliminating the duplication which now exists 
between teachers of special subjects and teachers of regular classes. 

Such a reorganization as recommended above will have to be 
introduced gradually. Both teachers and parents must be educated 
to the necessary changes in school organization, and various per¬ 
sonnel adjustments will be required. No attempt has been made to 
work out the details of the suggested reorganization because we feel 
that this is an administrative problem which should be left to the 
school officials who are familiar with all its phases. 

5. Miscellaneous Teachers. 

Miscellaneous teachers include supplementary teachers, research 
assistants, and primary instruction assistants. Each of these groups 
will be discussed briefly. 

Supplementary teachers are elementary-school teachers who have no 
regular classes assigned to them. They made their first appearance 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


81 


in 1921 as coaching teachers, but coaching is only one of many duties 
which they now perform. Approximately one-half of the supple¬ 
mentary teacher’s time is devoted to giving and scoring tests, tabulat¬ 
ing test data, and interpreting test results to principals and teachers. 
The other half of her time she spends for the most part in coaching 
pupils at the school to which she is assigned. Among her other 
duties are taking charge of the classes of teachers and teaching princi¬ 
pals who must absent themselves for official reasons, substituting for 
teachers who report sick until substitutes arrive, occasionally assist¬ 
ing the principal in the preparation of reports, and conferring with 
teachers concerning the progress and needs of particular children. 
Several of the supplementary teachers serve as regular relief teachers 
for teaching principals in large schools which do not have the 16 
rooms necessary to justify an administrative principal. 

It has already been pointed out in another connection that the 
administration of mental tests and the interpretation of test results 
seem a logical extension of the function of the supplementary teachers. 
There is no doubt that their work with backward and problem chil¬ 
dren has been materially assisted by the better diagnosis of indi¬ 
vidual cases which the tests have made possible. Under the old 
type of coaching there was a decided danger that a teacher might 
spend most of her time upon subnormal children who could not be 
fitted to return to regular classes and for whom the ordinary type of 
coaching was ineffective. Such children are now sent to atypical 
classes, and the supplementary teacher is thus enabled to devote her 
attention to those children who can profit most from her assistance. 
The various tests and clinical studies are invaluable aids to her in 
formulating and adopting devices and procedures for the purpose of 
remedying the difficulties found. It is not easy to measure the actual 
value of the coaching activities of the supplementary teachers, but 
there is no doubt that they have been instrumental in reducing both 
retardation and repetition in the elementary schools. 

The suggestion has already been made that the supplementary 
teachers be relieved of the routine clerical work in connection with 
the scoring of tests so that they may be able to devote a larger pro¬ 
portion of their time to coaching. We also doubt the advisability 
of assigning supplementary teachers to particular schools for the 
purpose of relieving teaching principals of their regular teaching 
duties. 

In the second semester of the school year 1926-27 there were 44 
supplementary teachers—34 in the white schools and 10 in the col¬ 
ored schools. For the most part these teachers were assigned to 
schools having 16 or more rooms in charge of administrative prin¬ 
cipals. But in several instances two supplementary teachers were 
assigned to one school, while other schools of similar size had none. 
Since there are not enough supplementary teachers to serve all schools, 
it is suggested that hereafter they be definitely attached to the offices 
of the several supervising principals rather than to particular schools. 
The supervising principals may then assign them to the school or 
schools in their divisions where the greatest need exists for such serv¬ 
ices as the supplementary teachers are able to render. 

The research assistants and the primary instruction assistants are 
teachers who do not teach. The former group assist the directors 
of research in the administration of a program of mental measurement 


82 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

and educational research, which has already been described at some 
length in Part II of this report. In our opinion the work which they 
are doing requires the services of experienced teachers who have 
been trained in the psychology of individual differences and the 
technique of intelligence testing. All of them have been recruited 
from the elementary schools of Washington, and the research direc¬ 
tors have supplied the special training which they lacked by means 
of extension courses. As to the value of their work, we have already 
expressed a positive opinion. By means of the mental test it has 
made possible the classification of children for teaching purposes 
according to individual abilities, and by means of the achievement 
test it has furnished an objective measurement of the progress of 
pupils and a basis for comparison with pupils in other cities through¬ 
out the country. 

On March 11, 1927, there were 10 research assistants—6 white and 
4 colored. On account of the lack of clerical assistance in the research 
departments they were'required to spend a considerable portion of 
their time in the routine work of preparing charts and posting records. 
If several additional clerks are provided as previously recommended 
they will be able to devote most of their time to strictly research work. 

The instruction assistants are really assistant supervisors of instruc¬ 
tion. During 1926-27 there were seven of them—five in the white 
schools and two in the colored schools. In the white schools they 
are attached to the office of the assistant superintendent in charge of 
instruction in the elementary schools, and in the colored schools to 
the office of the director of primary instruction. They serve as 
inspectors and instructors of the grade teachers and rate them at the 
end of the year on the quality of their work. However, the instruc¬ 
tion assistants are classified the same as elementary-school teachers 
so far as salary is concerned. Since they act as supervisors, it seems 
reasonable that they should be paid higher salaries than the teachers 
whom they supervise. If they have the qualifications of normal- 
school teachers, which most of them have, 3A seems the proper class 
for them. 

6. Vocational Schools. 

At the present time there are five vocational schools—one each for 
white and colored boys, and one each for white and colored girls, and 
one for white boys and girls. The white vocational school for boys 
was established in 1925-26 and the school for girls in 1926-27. The 
other white school has been in existence for some years as a prevoca- 
tional school. The colored vocational schools have been in existence 
for a number of years. During the war they suffered a considerable 
slump, but since 1920 there has been a steady increase in enrollment. 

Both of the recently organized white schools have met with a 
gratifying response on the part of boys and girls who wish to enter 
the trades. The school for boys is located in the old Abbot School, 
because no other building was available for the purpose. It has 
already outgrown these quarters and is now occupying several rooms 
in the Columbia Junior High School and the Polk School. The 
girls’ school has been assigned the Dennison School, which will 
serve the purpose during its experimental period. 

Both colored schools are adequately housed. The boys occupy 
the old Phelps School, which has been fairly well adapted to its 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 83 

purpose. There is a large yard in the rear of this school which will 
permit of an extension for additional shops when they are needed. 
The Washington Vocational School for Colored Girls is located in a 
building which was especially constructed for trade training, and an 
extension of eight rooms has been authorized to house the gradually 
increasing enrollment. 

The teaching personnel of the vocational schools has been supplied 
out of the regular allowance for elementary-school teachers. With 
the transfer of seventh and eighth grades to the junior high schools, a 
number of manual arts teachers have also become available for assign¬ 
ment to these schools. On account of the specialized nature of trade 
instruction, classes are small and the number of teachers needed is 
therefore proportionately higher than in other schools. The enroll¬ 
ment of the five vocational schools on March 11, 1927, was 855, and 
the number of teachers was 50—an average of 17.1 pupils per teacher. 
There seems little doubt that the enrollment of the vocational schools 
will continue to increase with the expansion of their facilities, and 
additional teachers will therefore be required from time to time as 
such increases occur. 

7. Platoon Schools. 

The aims of the platoon form of school organization, as stated by 
one of its advocates, 5 are as follows: 

(1) Better instruction and improved results in special branches 
without increased expense and without sacrificing the regular subjects 
of the curriculum. 

(2) The filling of important gaps in the present curriculum without 
the increase in cost that often prohibits such additions. 

(3) A more constant use of the school building and especially 
increased use of facilities usually considered “extras,” such as 
auditoriums, gymnasiums, manual training rooms, and the like. 

(4) A larger enrollment within the same building. 

According to the 1926 report of the Bureau of Education the— 

plan is being rapidly adopted by the cities of the country. In 1914 there were 
nine cities in six States which had schools organized on the work-study-play or 
platoon plan. In June, 1926, there were 110 cities in 33 States having such 
schools. In other words, in the last 12 years there has been a 1,122 per cent 
increase in the number of cities having this type of school organization. The 
110 cities have a total population of over 17,000,000. Not only has the number 
of cities adopting the plan increased but there is a tendency to increase the 
number of schools on the plan in cities where it has been tried. For example, 
there are now 34 cities with a population of 5,988,607 which have organized all 
their schools on the plan, or have adopted it as a city-wide policy. Of these 34 
cities, 22 already have all their schools on the platoon plan. 

In the opinion of superintendents who have organized schools on the plan its 
rapid growth is due in large measure to the fact that under the plan it is possible, 
financially and administratively, to give to all children in a school system the 
opportunities for an enriched curriculum of work and play and study which 
the development of cities has made it imperative to provide for city children. 
They contend that changed social and industrial conditions have created a new 
educational problem—that of making cities fit places in which to bring up 
children. 

The distinctive feature of the platoon school is the division of all 
of the school classes into two large groups, or platoons, alternating 
between the “home rooms,” where the basic subjects are taught, 
and the rooms for special activities, where children receive training 


« Shattuck O. Hartwell, Overcrowded Schools and the Platoon Plan, Cleveland Foundation, 1916, p. 21. 



84 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTBICT OF COLUMBIA 


in social, physical, and vocational subjects. While the classes of 
one platoon are in the home room for 90 minutes receiving instruc¬ 
tion in composition, grammar, reading, spelling, arithmetic, and 
penmanship, the classes of the opposite platoon are distributed for 
three 30-minute periods among the activities of gymnasium, play, 
auditorium, science, literature, drawing, music, and manual arts. 
The alternating of the platoons in the middle of the morning and 
the middle of the afternoon divides a 6-hour day into three hours of 
home room work and three hours of special activities for every 
child, or a 5-hour day into two and one-half hours each of home 
room work and special activities. In most cities where the platoon 
plan has been adopted the length of the school day has been increased 
from one-half hour to an hour and one-half in order to allow more 
time for work and play activities. 

Under ideal conditions where a building contains an auditorium, 
gymnasium, and rooms designed for special subjects, it is claimed 
that the building can be operated as a platoon school at a capacity 
one-third greater than as a traditional or departmental school. For 
example, such a building with 18 classrooms, accommodating 18 
sections of 40 pupils, or a total of 720 children, on the traditional 
plan, will accommodate 24 sections or 960 pupils on the platoon 
plan. In old buildings, where gymnasiums and auditoriums must 
be adapted to the platoon organization, the pupil capacity can gen¬ 
erally be increased from 15 to 25 per cent. 

In spite of the financial economies indicated for the platoon school, 
there is a sincere difference of opinion among educators as to its 
educational advantages. One of the foremost opponents of the 
platoon school maintains that— 

no highly artificial plan can minister as adequately to the complex and highly 
interrelated needs of the growing child as can a natural plan, permitting more 
intimate personal contact, interplay of minds, and sympathy between pupils 
and teachers. 6 

Natural learning conditions, it is claimed, can not be maintained 
under conditions requiring each special-subject teacher to care for 
hundreds of different pupils and requiring each child to meet and 
adapt itself daily to a number of different teachers. In this same 
connection it is urged that departmentalization in the elementary 
school results in disintegration, because instead of having a series 
of related experiences with a common end, what the pupil really has 
is a series of unrelated experiences, in which he realizes no common 
purpose. 

Proponents of the platoon school reply that— 

first, only half of the work of the platoon school is departmentalized; second, the 
other half is done in the home room where the contact between pupil and teacher 
is the same as in the traditional school; and, third, in that part of the work which 
is done departmentallv vital contacts between pupils and teacher grow with the 
years, for the pupil has the same special teachers year after year. Almost every¬ 
one agrees that the daily grind of pupils with one teacher, considering the wide 
extent of the curriculum of the elementary school, is unsatisfactory. Very few 
people, indeed, would advocate extreme departmentalization; that is, a different 
teacher for each of the 12 or 14 subjects in the elementary school curriculum. 
The platoon school is exactly half way between these two extremes. 7 


8 F. O. Bonser, Teachers College Record, December, 1925, p. 310. 

7 Wm. L. Connor, Bulletin No. 5, Bureau of Educational Research, Cleveland Public Schools, 1925. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 85 

In attempting to evaluate the conflicting claims of the advocates 
and opponents of the platoon school, one is impressed by the theo¬ 
retical nature of much of the discussion on the subject, especially with 
reference to the objections of its opponents. It is true that the re¬ 
sults secured by the platoon and the nonplatoon schools are not all 
measurable. On the other hand, the experience of Detroit, Pitts¬ 
burgh, and Newark goes to show that in well-organized platoon schools 
which have adopted the longer day, outcomes are as good or better 
than they are in traditional schools. While the experience of these 
cities is not conclusive as far as Washington is concerned, neverthe¬ 
less the results acheived justify us in recommending a scientific 
experiment with the platoon organization in several local schools for 
the purpose of comparing both financial costs and educational results 
in platoon and nonplatoon schools. The departments of educational 
research are certainly qualified to undertake such a study, and Wash¬ 
ington has a number of nonplatoon schools comparing favorably with 
any in the country. But its one platoon school is hardly a fair sample 
of the type and will require considerable reorganization if it is to be 
used as one of the schools in the experiment. The organization of the 
platoon schools should be assigned to an administrative official who 
has studied the plan at first hand, and who can be depended upon 
to analyze impartially its operation in the experimental schools. 

W ashington now has one platoon school, the Park View, which has 
been in existence since 1919. The Park View School, however, can 
not be considered typical of the modern platoon school as operated 
in such cities as Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Newark. In the first place, 
the building is not well suited to its purpose, because it lacks the 
facilities in the way of gymnasium and special rooms and equipment 
which are usually considered necessary to the proper functioning of a 
work-study-play school. In the second place, the school day has not 
been programmed so as to secure a proper balance between the various 
work, study, and play activities. 

Park View is nominally a 16-room building, but by using corridor 
space on the second floor and all rooms in the basement, this number 
has been increased to 22. 8 There were 11 home sections last year 
using 11 of the regular rooms. The other five regular classrooms 
were used as special rooms—two for drawing, and one each for 
music, dramatics, and history and literature. A second-floor 
corridor originally designed as a library was used for teaching ele¬ 
mentary science and geography. The other five rooms located in 
the basement were as follows: Two playrooms, one sewing room, one 
cooking room, and one manual-training room. In addition the school 
has a reasonably well-equipped auditorium, although it is much larger 
than necessary. The school has no outdoor play space but enjoys 
the use of a large municipal playgroimd which serves the same 
purpose. 

A careful study of the Park View program for the second semester 
of the school year 1926-27 indicates that the balanced program of 
work, study, and play which is claimed for the platoon school can 
not be secured without additional special facilities, and in all prob¬ 
ability a longer school day is also essential to the success of the plan. 


8 During 1926-27 Park View also had five portables, but there were an equal number of out-of-platoon 
classes. On Mar. 11,1927, the actual enrollment was 881 and the total number of teachers 33, but the enroll- 
mend during the first semester averaged about 1,000. 



86 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


In order to provide time for such activities as dramatics and audi¬ 
torium assemblies, it has been necessary to eliminate both morning’ 
and afternoon recesses, amounting to 25 minutes a day. This 
elimination has resulted in a total loss of free play time, which is 
usually considered essential for growing children. Furthermore, the 
lack of a sufficient number of manual-arts rooms made it necessary 
to reduce the allotment of time for work in grades 6, 7, and 8 to one- 
half the number of minutes required by the regular schedule. In 
no case was this allotment more than 90 minutes a week, and in SB 
it was only 60 minutes. Time which should have been assigned to 
play or work was in many cases spent in so-called supervised study 
in the assembly hall, which is poorly adapted to this purpose because 
the lighting is inadequate and there are no desks. As far as the basic 
subjects are concerned, the two and one-half hours spent in the 
home room usually provide all the time that the schedule demands, 
but in several instances the exigencies of program making have 
resulted in reducing the required allotment for special subjects such 
as music and drawing. 

On the other hand, it must be admitted that in spite of the diffi¬ 
culties mentioned above the platoon plan at Park View has indicated 
how the capacity of a school may be increased by the intensive use 
of instructional space, including auditorium, pla} 7- rooms, and shops. 
Furthermore, there is no duplication of teacher service such as exists 
in other schools visited by itinerant special-subject teachers, so that 
on the whole the plan has effected some economies in the assignment 
of teachers. The principal and teachers of the Park View School, 
the supervising principal of the division, and the parents of the com¬ 
munity, therefore, deserve considerable credit for undertaking an 
experiment in educational organization under trying conditions. 

Nevertheless, it can hardly be claimed that the platoon school has 
had a fair trial in Washington. We have already pointed out in our 
discussion of special-subject teachers that the present organization 
of the Washington schools involves a duplication of teacher service 
and a waste of instructional space, resulting in relatively high per 
capita costs both of instruction and of buildings. If the platoon 
school can reduce these costs without sacrificing any of the educa¬ 
tional advantages of the present system, or if it can offer more or 
better instruction at the same cost, the taxpayers of Washington and 
the Nation are entitled to this information. On the other hand, if 
an impartial study indicates that local conditions are such as not to 
justify such a radical form or reorganization, perhaps some modifi¬ 
cation of the platoon plan or some form of departmentalization may 
be developed which will achieve similar results. 

It is therefore recommended that the Board of Education under¬ 
take a platoon-school experiment by establishing two platoon schools, 
one white and one colored, by adapting to this purpose two of the 
new standard 16-room elementary school buildings. For the pur¬ 
poses of this experiment these two platoon schools should be paired 
with two nonplatoon schools similar in size and in composition of 
population, and each pair of schools should be approximately equal 
in teaching efficiency. Any initial difference in the ability and 
achievement of the pupils in the two types of schools will be indicated 
by the tests of the research departments. At the close of each semes¬ 
ter these departments will measure the achievements of the pupils. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA 


87 


Each school should also be rated twice a year on certain types of 
pupil activity, such as deportment, self-control, morale, and initiative, 
by committees of five persons composed of the assistant superintend¬ 
ent in charge of instruction in elementary schools, the assistant super¬ 
intendent in charge of research, and one representative each of the 
supervising principals, the administrative principals, and the teaching 
staff. Comparative studies of curricula and of costs by the research 
departments will supplement the achievement tests and the ratings 
of pupil activity. An experiment such as that outlined above ex¬ 
tending over a series of years will supply the basis of fact, which is 
now lacking for the adoption of an educational policy of the highest 
importance. 

8. Summary of Teacher Requirements. 

The following table shows the average enrollments and the annual 
increases for the last 10 years in the elementary schools and grades 
7 and 8 of the junior high schools: 

Table showing average enrollments in elementary schools and grades 7 and 8 of the 

junior high schools from 1917 to 1927 


Year 

Average 

enroll¬ 

ment 

In¬ 

creases 

1917-18__ 

45,319 
46,344 
48,990 
49,664 
48,394 


1918-19. _ . 

1,025 
2,646 
674 

1 1,270 

1919-20_ 

1920-21. ___ 

1921-22.... 



Year 

Average 

enroll¬ 

ment 

In¬ 

creases 

1922-23___ 

51,066 
51,694 
52,247 
52,750 
56,536 

2,672 
628 

1923-24....... 

1924-25 _ 

553 

1925-26. ___ 

503 

1926-27_ 

3,786 



* Decrease. 


The average increase for the last 10 years in the elementary grades 
has therefore been 1,246, but the annual increases have varied con¬ 
siderably, and in one year there was an actual decrease. During 
1926-27 the increase was over three times the average for the 10-year 
period. In view of this unusual growth last year it is estimated that 
the increase in enrollment for 1927-28 will not exceed 1,000. Since 
no junior high schools will be opened during the current year, most 
of this increase in enrollment will have to be provided for in the 
elementary schools. We therefore feel that the Board of Educa¬ 
tion’s original estimate of 15 additional 1A teachers on account of 
increased enrollment is conservative. To provide accommodations 
for the increased enrollment, 24 new classrooms have become avail¬ 
able as follows: Burroughs, 8; Woodridge, 8; and Bruce 8. Four 
additional rooms will beconle available at Smothers on February 1, 
1928. Last year there were 15 teachers teaching in part-time 
classes or in portables connected with these buildings, so that 13 
teachers will be needed for the new classrooms, leaving two teachers 
for new classes which may have to be opened in other parts of tho 
city. There were also seven unused 1A salaries on June 30, 1927, 
which should be sufficient for such additional teachers as may be 
needed during the current year. 

For the school year 1928-29 it is estimated that the enrollment in 
the elementary schools and the seventh and eighth grades of the 
junior high schools will increase about 1,000 pupils. Since no new 

























88 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


junior high schools are scheduled to be opened until the second 
semester, probably 80 per cent of the initial increase, or 800, will 
have to be provided for in the elementary schools. On the basis 
of a standard class of 40, this means 20 additional teachers of class 
1A, which is three less than requested by the Board of Education in 
its original estimates. Twenty-four new classrooms will become 
available in September, 1928, as follows: Potomac Heights, 4 ; 
Barnard, 8; Bryan, 6; and Langdon, 6 (net). Since 15 teachers of 
part-time and portable classes are available at these schools, the 
net requirement for this purpose will be 9 teachers. The other 11 
teachers will be required to provide for the increased enrollment and 
to relieve congestion in rapidly growing sections of the city. 

With reference to the vocational schools, it is thought that the 
present personnel will be sufficient during 1927-28 with such additions 
as may be necessary from the manual arts teachers. However, in 
1928-29 special provision should be made for five new positions of 
class 1A, two at M. M. Washington, two at Abbot, and one at 
Dennison to provide for the increased enrollment which will undoubt¬ 
edly follow the increase in the number of classrooms at these schools. 

The Board of Education has requested in its budget that a special 
salary of $2,500 per year be allowed for “trade teachers in regularly 
organized trade schools teaching the following trades: Painting, 
printing, plumbing, sheet-metal work, plastering, bricklaying, auto¬ 
mobile construction and repair, woodworking, and electrical con¬ 
struction. This request is based upon the difficulty of securing 
properly qualified teachers of trade subjects for the present class 1A 
salary ($1,400 to $2,200). Skilled tradesmen with teaching ability 
of the type desired are usually earning from $50 to $70 per week. 
The entrance salary of $1,400 per year is hardly sufficient to attract 
even second-rate workmen or retired veterans. It should be pointed 
out that only the male trade teachers in the two vocational schools 
for boys are included in this request. The amendment quoted above 
is couched in such terms as to exclude female teachers and also male 
shop teachers in the elementary schools. In our opinion the request 
is a reasonable one and should be granted. 

The above estimates of 15 positions of class 1A for 1927-28, and 
25 for 1928-29 do not include any provision for additional kinder- 
gartners or teachers of special subjects. All other additions to the 
teaching staff, including both teachers of regular and special classes 
(at 3 r picai, ungraded, open window, tubercular, opportunity, etc.), 
and teachers of vocational classes will have to be made from these 
40 positions. 

If our recommendations for the absorption of excess kindergartners 
by the regular grades and for the gradual replacement of teachers of 
special subjects by a smaller number of supervisors are adopted and 
made effective immediately it will be possible to reduce the estimate 
for 1928-29 in the same amount that the number of these teachers 
can be reduced during that year. Special-subject teachers for the 
platoon schools recommended above may be recruited from the 
present special corps, so that no additional teachers will be needed 
for this purpose. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 89 

SECONDARY SCHOOLS 

Introduction. 

As in the case of elementary schools it was found necessary to study 
separately the various types of schools and teachers, so in the case 
of secondary schools we must distinguish clearly between junior and 
senior high schools and between teachers of various subjects. In 
studying teacher loads separate averages must be computed for home¬ 
room teachers and for subject teachers, and the various subject teach¬ 
ers must be grouped according to the general nature of the subject 
taught into academic (languages, history, mathematics, etc.), shop 
(electrical, machine, automobile, etc.), and group activities (physical 
training and music). 

The study which follows is based upon a detailed analysis of the 
individual programs of teachers in the junior and senior high schools, 
supplemented by room schedules showing the use made of each class¬ 
room during every hour of the day, for the second semester of the 
school year 1926-27. Comparisons with other cities are based upon 
City School Leaflet No. 9 of the Bureau of Education entitled 
“Teaching load in 136 city schools” (June, 1923), and upon an inde¬ 
pendent investigation by the Bureau of Efficiency of the teaching 
load in seven cities comparable in size with Washington. 

Reference has already been made to the adoption of the 6-3-3 
plan by Washington and to the rapid growth of its junior high 
schools. The Bureau of Education reports that— 

The movement to reorganize the school system, with six years in the elemen¬ 
tary-school and six years in the secondary-school grades continues without abate¬ 
ment in all classes of cities throughout the country. The larger cities have 
almost uniformly adopted the 6-3-3 form of organization, but in the smaller 
cities there is no such uniformity of practice. * * * 

Whatever the form of organization the aim should be to provide courses of 
study better suited to the needs of modern city life and to the needs of children 
from 12 to 18 years of age. The aim of the early part of the secondary-school 
course, the junior high school, is to provide general courses in mathematics, 
physical science, social science, languages, manual arts, etc., so as to permit 
the pupils to explore their interests, aptitudes, and capacities. Such explora¬ 
tion permits a pupil to elect more wisely when he enters senior high school, and 
for the pupil who leaves school at the end of the ninth grade the general courses 
are of greater practical and cultural value than was the drill upon the three 
R’s in the old-time grammar school, which is passing away for the newer type of 
organization. 8 

Junior High Schools. 

The first junior high school was established in Washington in 
1919-20 and the average enrollment that year was 525 students with 
a total of 26 teachers. On March 11, 1927, there were 10 junior 
high schools with an enrollment of 7,058 students and 309 teachers. 
The five-year building program provides for six additional junior 
high schools, and when these are completed practically all seventh, 
eighth, and ninth grades will be housed in these schools. 

The junior high schools in Washington are organized on a limited 
departmentalization plan so that many of the teachers are required 
to teach two subjects. In addition the home teacher of each class 
has charge of the extra-curricular activities of her pupils, including 
club meetings and educational and vocational guidance. So far as 
practicable each teacher of academic subjects in a junior high school 
is assigned to teach 750 pupil-periods per week, and each teacher of 
shop subjects 600 pupil-periods per week, which are reasonable 


•Annual Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1926, pp. 9 and 10. 




90 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


standards compared with those in the elementary schools on the one 
hand and the senior high schools on the other. These standards are 
based upon the actual number of teaching periods, and no credit is 
granted for the extra-curricular activities which nearly all teachers 
are required to undertake. If any teacher’s regular load is reduced 
on account of an unusually heavy program of extra-curricular activ¬ 
ities the other teachers in the school are required to absorb the 
difference. 

On March 11, 1927, the average number of students per home 
teacher w r as 30.3, and the average number of students for all teachers 
was 22.8. The reason for this difference is that teachers of shop 
subjects and teachers of music and physical training are not usually 
assigned home sections. 

In comparison with junior high schools in other cities, Washington 
teachers have a low average number of pupils as shown by the 
following table. These averages are based upon the average daily 
attendance for the school year 1925-26 as reported to the Bureau of 
Education. 


Table showing average number of -pupils in daily attendance per junior high school 

teacher during the school year 1925-26 


St. Louis, Mo_27. 8 

Kansas City, Mo_27. 0 

Baltimore, Md_26. 3 

Columbus, Ohio_24. 8 

Jersey City, N. J_24. 1 

Denver, Colo_23. 8 

Cleveland, Ohio_-_23. 4 


San Francisco, Calif_22. 6 

St. Paul, Minn_21. 9 

Oakland, Calif_ 21. 6 

Cincinnati, Ohio_ 20. 1 

Washington, D. C_ 19. 5 

Atlanta, Ga_ 19. 4 

Rochester, N. Y_ 16. 0 


During the second semester of 1926-27 the teachers of academic 
subjects had an average load of 718 pupil-periods, and teachers of 
shop subjects an average load of 523 pupil-periods. 10 In both cases 
these loads are below the standard of 750 and 600 pupil-periods, 
respectively. 

There are several reasons why the average number of pupils per 
teacher in the Washington junior high schools is less than in many 
other cities, and why the load in pupil-periods is below the standard 
established by the Board of Education. Perhaps the most important 
reason is the small size of the junior high schools in Washington, as 
compared with those in other large cities. The average number of 
pupils attending the junior high schools in the cities listed in the above 
table w r as 824, while in Washington it was only 600. Junior high 
schools of 1,000 are not uncommon and some run even higher. 
Small secondary schools nearly alwaj^s require more teachers in 
proportion to the number of students than large schools. At least 
one teacher must be provided for each subject even though there 
are not a sufficient number of pupils to make a full class, and two 
teachers are often necessary because there are too many pupils for 
one teacher although less than the number required to provide a 
standard load for both. This condition is especially common in the 
case of elective subjects and ninth-grade subjects. A full class may 
elect Latin in the eighth grade, but the natural mortality may reduce 
the class to half its size in the ninth grade. But the school can not 
decline to offer the advanced course without breaking faith with its 
pupils. Most of the junior high schools offer a choice of shop 


10 These averages do not include Stuart and Francis Junior High Schools which were newly organized 
on Feb. 1. 1927. Music and physical training are not included in the above averages. 


















PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 91 

subjects, and consequently few shop teachers carry the standard 
load of 600 pupil-periods. The uneven distribution which often exists 
between boys and girls is another factor which must be taken into 
consideration in this connection. As the enrollments of the junior 
high schools increase it should become possible gradually to increase 
the number of pupils assigned to these teachers, so that the loads 
will more nearly approximate the standard. 

The analysis of the indivudual teacher’s programs for the second 
semester of last year indicated that, based upon the standard load, 
there were in many of the junior high schools small excesses of teachers 
in individual subjects amounting usually to one-tenth or two-tenths 
of a teacher. There were likewise some shortages of the same char¬ 
acter, but they were considerably smaller in number than the excesses. 
Only one school showed any real excess of teachers, namely, Columbia 
Junior High School, where the enrollment has been falling off rather 
rapidly on account of the changing character of the neighborhood. 
On the other hand, several of the schools showed real shortages, 
namely, Stuart and Francis, which were organized in February, 1927, 
and Shaw, where the enrollment has been increasing rapidly. 

Based upon the real excesses and shortages determined by the 
above analysis and the needs for the extension to the Hine Junior 
High School, it is estimated that 15 additional teachers are now neces¬ 
sary in the junior high schools. Three more teachers should be 
sufficient to provide for the increased enrollment during the current 
year in view of the small excesses which existed last year in nearly 
all subjects. We therefore recommend that 18 additional junior 
high school salaries (12, 2A, and 6, 2C) be provided for the second 
semester of 1927-28, in order to secure for each pupil the fullest 
possible educational advantages without overloading the teachers. 

For the fiscal year 1928-29 the Board of Education estimates that 
eight additional teachers will be required to provide for increased 
enrollment in the junior high schools. In our previous discussion of 
the needs for teachers in the elementary schools it was stated that a 
probable increase of 1,000 pupils is indicated in grades 1 to 8, 20 per 
cent of which, amounting to 200 pupils, would probably take place 
in grades 7 and 8 of the junior high schools. A probable increase of 
another 100 pupils in grade 9 makes a total of 300. In our opinion 
eight teachers is therefore a conservative estimate of the require¬ 
ments for additional personnel in the junior high schools to provide 
for increased enrollment in 1928-29. 

Two new junior high schools and additions to two of the present 
schools will be opened in 1928-29, and these will also require a 
number of additional teachers. The list of these buildings is as 
follows: 


Building 


Garnet-Patterson.. 

Gordon... 

Langley (addition; 


Shaw (to occupy old McKinley) 


Estimated 
date of 
c ompletion 


Rooms 


Teachers Teachers 
available needed 


Feb. 

....do 

Sept. 


do 


1.1929 

24 

15 


24 

15 

1,1928 

16 

9 


64 

39 


For adjustments. 


U 

2 


27 


88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-7 


•*4 <0 CO 

























92 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

All seventh and eighth grades in near-by elementary schools will 
be transferred into these buildings. The salaries of the teachers of 
seventh and eighth grade classes thus closed and the salaries of the 
few special subject teachers (manual and household arts, music, 
drawing, physical training, and elementary science) will be converted 
into junior high school salaries. These conversions are made on the 
basis of 1.6 junior high school teachers to each elementary school 
teacher whose class is closed out, which is about the proportion 
between the average pupil load of elementary school teachers and 
junior high school teachers. We have already explained at some 
length why more teachers are needed in the junior high schools than 
in the elemental schools for the same number of pupils. Each 
teacher teaches only one or at most two subjects, and there are more 
subjects to be taught. Furthermore, pupils are allowed a certain 
amount of choice in the selection of subjects. Consequently classes 
are in nearly all cases smaller than in the elementary school where 
one teacher teaches all the subjects of her grade and no election of 
subjects is permitted to pupils. 

In our opinion the estimate of 27 additional junior high school 
teachers for new classrooms and adjustments in 1928-29 is entirely 
reasonable. However, 18 of these teachers will be required for only 
one-half year since the Garnet-Patterson and Gordon Schools will 
not be ready until February 1 , 1929. The total additional require¬ 
ments for 1928-29, therefore, will be 17 teachers for a whole year and 
18 teachers for a half year. 

It has been customary in the past to divide the junior high school 
salaries between classes 2A and 2C in about the proportion of two to 
one. We believe that this practice is a reasonable one, and therefore 
suggest that the positions recommended above be distributed in the 
same proportion. 

Senior High Schools. 

The average enrollment in the senior high schools showed a steady 
growth until 1924 when the junior high schools had been firmly estab¬ 
lished. Between 1924 and 1927 the average enrollment increased 
less than 200, and the teaching force was stabilized at about 500. 
Over a 10-year period the teachers have increased just about as fast 
as the enrollment. The average enrollment in 1917-18 was 6,248, 
and in 1926-27 it was 11,053, an increase of 77 per cent. During the 
same years the teachers increased from 302 to 503, an increase of 
66 per cent. 

The standard load for teachers of academic subjects in the senior 
high schools is 700 pupil-periods and for teachers of shop subjects 
600 pupil-periods. These are reasonable standards compared with 
those of other cities, and as in the case of junior high schools no 
credit is allowed for extra-curricular activities. 

On March 11, 1927, the actual enrollment of all senior high schools 
was 11,564, and the number of teachers 503. The average number of 
students per home teacher was 32.1, and the average number of 
students for all teachers was 23. As in the junior high schools the 
reason for this difference is that teachers of shop subjects and teachers 
of music and physical training are not usually assigned home sections. 

In comparison with senior high school teachers in other cities, 
Washington teachers carry a load slightly lower than the average. 


93 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The following table shows the average number of pupils per high 
school teacher in 28 cities comparable in size with Washington. 
These averages are based upon the average daily attendance for the 
school year 1925-26 as reported to the Bureau of Education. 


Average number of pupils in daily attendance per senior high-school teacher during 

the school year 1925-26 


Seattle, Wash_ 

Boston, Mass_ 

New Orleans, La. 
Milwaukee, Wis_ 
Portland, Oreg_- 

Toledo, Ohio_ 

Baltimore, Md._ 

St. Louis, Mo_ 

Birmingham, Ala 
Kansas City, Mo 
St. Paul, Minn._ 
Columbus, Ohio. 
Cleveland, Ohio_ 

Denver, Colo_ 

Newark, N. J_ 


Pupils 


Pupils 


27. 2 
25. 2 
24. 9 
24. 6 
24. 3 
24. 1 
22. 9 
22. 7 
22. 7 
22. 7 
22. 6 
22. 4 
22. 3 
22. 3 
21. 9 


Jersey City, N. J_ 

Indianapolis, Ind_ 

San Francisco, Calif 

Atlanta, Ga_ 

Louisville, Ky_ 

Washington, D. C__ 

Oakland, Calif_ 

Cincinnati, Ohio_ 

Pittsburgh, Pa_ 

Omaha, Nebr_ 

Providence, R. I_ 

Minneapolis. Minn. 

Buffalo, N. Y_ 

Rochester, N. Y_ 


21. 8 
21. 5 
21. 2 
21. 1 
20. 6 
20. 3 
19. 8 
19. 6 
19. 4 
19. 2 
18. 8 
17. 7 
16. 9 
16. 2 


During the second semester of 1926-27 the teachers of academic 
subjects, including the natural sciences, had an average load of 658- 
pupil-periods, and teachers of shop subjects an average load of 500 
pupil-periods. 11 In both cases these loads were below the local 
Board of Education standard of 700 and 600 pupil-periods, respec- 
tivclv. But still they compare favorably with the loads shown in 
the Bureau of Education’s leaflet of June, 1923, entitled “Teaching- 
Load in 136 City High Schools.” When the average loads for all 
these cities are adjusted to a comparable basis with those in Washing¬ 
ton by reducing the length of the teaching period to 43 minutes and 
increasing the number of pupil-periods proportionately, the final 
average is 654 pupil-periods for academic subjects, and 559 pupil- 
periods for shop subjects. 

The reasons why the average load of senior high school teachers is 
below the standard established by the Board of Education are sim¬ 
ilar to those mentioned above in our discussion of junior high 
schools, except that the senior high schools are larger than the junior 
high schools, and therefore the organization problem should be sim¬ 
pler. However, the strict departmentalization of subjects, and the 
wider choice of electives which is granted students more than counter¬ 
balances this advantage. With very few exceptions senior high 
school teachers teach only one subject whereas many junior high 
school teachers teach two subjects. Consequently there is a lack of 
flexibility 7 - in the organization of the senior high schools. To obviate 
this difficulty the boards of examiners are now requiring all candidates 
for senior high school positions to qualify in two subjects, a major and 
a minor. The elective system results in a large number of small 
classes, especially in advanced courses and in shop subjects. No way 
has yet been found of meeting this problem without unduly restricting 
the range of choice which is the basis of the elective system. How¬ 
ever, electives should not in our opinion continue to be offered when 


11 Music and physical training are not included in these averages. 

































94 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

the registration falls so low that teachers have less than half the 
standard load, as was the case in several shop subjects last year. 

An analysis of the individual teacher’s programs indicates that 
there is a small excess of teachers in nearly all subjects in the senior 
high schools. These excesses, together with six unused salaries, 
which existed on June 30, 1927, should be sufficient to meet the needs 
occasioned by increased enrollment during the years 1927-28 and 
1928-29. Consequently no additional senior high-school positions 
are recommended for this purpose. However, the request for two 
teachers in 1928-29 to facilitate the organization of a colored business 
high school separate from the Dunbar High School seems reasonable 
and should be granted. 

Normal Schools. 

The normal schools have shown a steady growth in average enroll¬ 
ment during the last 10 years, from 180 in 1917-18 to 686 in 1926-27. 
During the same period the teachers increased from 27 to 46. Last 
year 17 of the 46 teachers were engaged in practice teaching in the 
elementary schools, and the enrollment of their classes on March 
11, 1927, was 989. 

At the request of the local Board of Education the Lnited States 
Bureau of Education made an exhaustive survey of the normal 
schools of the District of Columbia and recommended a number of 
changes relating to organization, courses of instruction, faculties, and 
pupils. Since most of these recommendations have already been 
adopted, it is our opinion that the normal schools conform to the 
high standards established by the Bureau of Education. 

Curriculum and Efficiency of Instruction. 

At the beginning of this report it was stated that the character of 
the curriculum and the efficiency of the instruction are important 
factors in determining the adequacy of a teaching staff. Both of 
these factors were therefore studied at first hand. Present courses 
of study as well as various plans for revision were carefully examined, 
and the efficiency of the staff was considered under the following 
headings: The individuals composing the staff, the organization for 
carrying out their work, and the results they have obtained. 

As far as the curriculum is concerned, Washington has kept pace 
with the nation-wide movement for curriculum revision. The super¬ 
intendent of the Washington schools has been a member of the com¬ 
mission on the curriculum of the department of superintendence of 
the National Education Association since its organization in 1924. 
He was also chairman of the committee on curriculum revision in 
nature study and elementary science whose report was published as 
a part of the 1926 yearbook of the department of superintendence. 
Later the same committee developed a course of study for the Wash¬ 
ington public schools along the lines of their previous report. The 
new course in nature study and elementary science for kindergartens 
and grades one to six was approved by the Board of Education on 
June 9, 1926. 

The revision of courses in other subjects was initiated by the super¬ 
intendent on January 7, 1926, when he requested the assistance of 
the supervising principals in the organization of committees to recom¬ 
mend revised courses in arithmetic, reading and literature, English, 
history, and geography. These committees were appointed in due 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 95 

course, each committee being composed of representatives of each of 
the first six grades and the kindergarten in addition to several officers. 
It is expected that the revised courses of study will be submitted to 
the Board of Education for its approval early during the school year 
1927-28. 

The revision of the junior high school course of study will be under¬ 
taken in the near luture along the lines indicated in the 1927 yearbook 
of the department of superintendence of the National Education 
Association entitled “The Junior High School Curriculum .” Any 
necessary revisions in the senior high school course of study will 
follow later after the commission on the curriculum of the depart¬ 
ment of superintendence has submitted its report on the curriculum 
of the senior high school. 

With reference to the efficiency of instruction, we were unable to 
make any detailed analysis of the training, experience, age, sex, and 
social composition of the individual members of the teaching staff 
on account of the inadequacy of the personnel records. However, 
it is our opinion that the teachers are carefully selected after a rigid 
examination covering not only their training and experience, but also 
their health, character, and personality. Educational standards are 
high, but recruiting is not a difficult problem, because the salaries 
paid teachers under the law of June 4, 1924, compare favorably with 
those paid in other cities of over 100,000 population.’ 2 Furthermore, 
the general organization of the boards of examiners and the division 
of functions between the superintendent of schools and the Board of 
Education relating to the selection of personnel, are in accordance 
with the best practice in city school administration. However, there 
is one defect which should be pointed out in this place, namely, the 
lack of a centralized system of personnel records. At the present 
time such records are scattered among four different offices, and con¬ 
sequently it is impossible to secure in any one place a complete history 
of individual teachers. The logical place for keeping this central 
record of personnel is in the office of the board of examiners. 

The organization of the teaching staff, as previously indicated in 
Part II, is based upon sound principles. Functions are clearly defined, 
and there is no overlapping of lines of authority. The various groups 
of workers (supervising principals, principals, heads of departments, 
directors, and teachers) are well balanced as far as size is concerned, 
and od the whole their efforts are satisfactorily coordinated. 

During recent years considerable thought has been given to improv¬ 
ing the efficiency of supervision in the schools. One of the methods 
employed to secure the desired result was the appointment of free 
principals in the elementary schools. Prior to 1922 there were no 
real principals in the elementary schools. Each building was in 
charge of a teaching principal who usually taught the eighth grade. 
In the school year 1921-22 a program was inaugurated looking 
toward the ultimate displacement of the teaching principal by a free 
or administrative principal in charge of a building or a group of 
buildings wuth 16 or more classrooms. During the school year 
1921-22, 31 of these administrative principals w T ere appointed. A 
number of additional ones w T ere created in the following years when 
teaching principals resigned or retired and when new 16-room build- 


12 Salaries paid teachers, principals, and certain other school employees, 1926-27, 59 cities over 100,000 
population.—National Education Association, January, 1927. 



96 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

ings were completed. At the present time the number of these ad¬ 
ministrative principals is 49. There is no doubt that the local direc¬ 
tion of education within the schools, which was formerly carried by 
the supervising principals, has been improved by the appointment 
of administrative principals. These principals are still required to 
teach at times in the several classes for the purpose of stimulating 
interest among pupils, aiding the teachers in discipline and in methods 
of teaching, and getting into close touch with the work of the pupils 
and teachers. But most of their time is devoted to supervising class¬ 
room work, settling questions of discipline, holding conferences with 
teachers, making a study of the special needs of individual pupils, 
keeping in touch with parents and with representatives of parent- 
teacher associations, and dealing with school nurses, medical inspec¬ 
tors, and attendance officers. ' 

The departments of instruction, which operate from headquarters 
under the general supervision of assistant superintendents (one 
white and one colored), serve as staff advisers to principals and 
teachers in elementary schools throughout the city. These depart¬ 
ments establish standards of instruction in the regular subjects 
based upon the most approved pedagogical principles, and by fre¬ 
quent inspection assistants make certain that they are being applied 
correctly. The special directors perform similar functions for their 
several specialties, namely, kindergartens, manual arts, household 
arts, music, drawing, physical training, and elementary science. 

We have already made several recommendations with a view to 
improving the supervision in the elementary schools. In Part II it 
was recommended that the two positions of white and colored 
directors of kindergartens should be abolished when the present 
incumbents retire, and that their duties be transferred respectively 
to the white assistant superintendent in charge of instruction in 
elementary schools and the colored director of primary instruction. 13 
We have also recommended above that for purposes of supervision 
the itinerant teachers should eventually be replaced by a much 
smaller number of assistants to the directors who will serve as 
inspectors and instructors of special subjects in the same way that 
the assistants in primary instruction now serve for the regular sub¬ 
jects. 14 

At the present time each junior high school has one principal. 
Senior high schools, however, are assigned one assistant principal 
(female) when the number of pupils exceeds 1,000, and an additional 
assistant principal (male) when the number exceeds 1,500. These 
standards are entirely reasonable compared with those of other cities. 
On June 30, 1927, there were seven principals and nine assistant 
principals of senior high schools. 

There are nine heads of departments in the high schools for white 
pupils and seven in the high schools for colored pupils. Each head 
of department supervises his subject in the several associated high 
schools. In his annual report for 1921—22 the superintendent of 
schools pointed out that this plan for the unification of the work in 
the high-school subjects differs from the general practice throughout 
the country and that the system in Washington had not worked out 
wholly satisfactorily. After careful study a set of rules was adopted 


13 See Recommendation No. 4, Pt. It, p. 48. 
» See p. 80, Pt. III. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 97 

on June 21, 1922, governing the duties of heads of departments. But 
it can hardly be said that these rules have resulted in a satisfactory 
operation of the system. Evidently the system itself is at fault 
rather than the regulations. The growth of the junior high schools 
in recent years has further complicated the problem. At the present 
time there is some overlapping of functions between heads of depart¬ 
ments and directors of special subjects in the junior high schools due 
to the fact that the junior high school is composed of one high school 
grade (9) and two elementary grades (7 and 8). In our opinion the 
whole subject of supervision of instruction in the high schools should 
be reconsidered at this time in view of the experience of the last five 
years. 

With reference to the efficiency of the teaching staff no attempt 
was made either to rate the teachers at work or to measure results as 
shown by the accomplishment of the children. These are educa¬ 
tional problems requiring a specialized technique, and the limita¬ 
tions of tune did not permit of an exhaustive analysis of this sort 
even if we had considered it necessary. It should be noted that the 
school system itself provides for the rating of teachers and the meas¬ 
uring of results currently. 

Elementary-school teachers are rated by the supervising prin¬ 
cipals in cooperation with administrative principals and by the 
directors of primary instruction. High-school teachers are rated 
by their principals and by the heads of departments. The rating 
system seems to be working satisfactorily, although the number of 
elements on which teachers are rated is in our opinion excessive. 
The rating sheet might also be simplified by the adoption of the 
graphic scale which is now used for rating nonteaching employees. 

The measurement of instruction is one of the functions of the 
departments of educational research. Each year the departments 
plan to make an investigation of some subject in the hope that the 
findings may result in improving instruction and increasing learning 
by means of better adaptations of the curriculum to pupil differences. 
The following quotation from the report of the Board of Education 
for 1925-26 (p. 70) is a summary of one of these investigations: 

Our first arithmetic tests showed that while Washington children were for the 
most part above the average standards grade for grade in arithmetic knowledge, 
they were in many schools from one to three semesters retarded in arithmetic 
facility. This seemed to be the result of inadequate or wasteful drill. The matter 
was presented to teachers, principals, supervising principals, and the directors 
of primary instruction, with the result that the recommendation of the depart¬ 
ment of research was followed and modern practice materials, such as Courtis 
practice tests, or Thorndike exercise books, were purchased and this material 
introduced in 47 schools. 

These materials automatically adapt the work to the ability of each pupil, 
giving him the practice in his particular weak points, thereby cutting down 
reteaching and premature teaching. A year after the introduction of this material 
and the changes it necessitated in the methods of drill in arithmetic another survey 
was made of the speed and accuracy. (The results showed that the schools had 
bettered their achievement because individual differences were being considered.) 

Recommendations. 

The recommendations included in this part of the report may be 
summarized as follows: 

1. No additional kindergartners should be provided until such 
time as the present excess has been absorbed either by opening new 


98 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


kindergartens or by transferring to the grades kindergartners holding 
elementary school licenses. 

2. The afternoon programs of kindergartners should be more care¬ 
fully supervised so as to increase the time devoted to coaching pri¬ 
mary children. 

3. Since regular grade classes in the elementary schools are organ¬ 
ized for the most part on the basis of a standard of 40 pupils, addi¬ 
tional teachers should be provided in the grades to take care of the 
regular increase in enrollment resulting from the natural growth of 
the city. 

4. Consideration should be given to the establishment of additional 
special school centers for atypical and ungraded children with ade¬ 
quate facilities for teaching manual arts. 

5. As opportunity offers additional open-air classes should be 
opened and a sight-conservation class should be established. 

6. The number of itinerant special subject teachers should gradu¬ 
ally be reduced, and some form of platooning or departmentalization 
introduced into the elementary schools in order that teachers may 
specialize in those subjects for which they are best fitted and that 
pupils may have the advantage of expert instruction in all subjects. 

7. The Board of Education should undertake a platoon-school 
experiment by establishing two platoon schools, one white and one 
colored, by adapting to this purpose two of the new standard 16-room 
elementary school buildings. 

8. For purposes of supervision the itinerant teachers should 
eventually be replaced by a much smaller number of assistants to the 
directors, who will serve as inspectors and instructors of special 
subjects in the same way that the assistants in primary instruction 
now serve for the regular subjects. 

9. The whole subject of supervision in the junior and senior high 
schools, with special reference to the duties of directors of special 
subjects and heads of departments, should be reconsidered in view 
of the experience of the past five years. 

10. Centralized systems of teachers’ personnel records should be 
established in the offices of the boards of examiners. 

11. Our recommendations for additional teachers are as follows: 

Elementary schools: 

1927- 28_ 15 class 1A. 

1928- 29_._20 class 1A. 

5 class 1A (vocationalschools). 

Junior high schools: 

1927- 28_ 12 class 2A. 

6 class 2C. 

1928- 29_ 11 class 2A1 , , 

6 class 2c} whole y ear ' 

14 class 2A1, „„„ 

4 class 2C/ h * lf y ear - 

Senior high schools: 

1927- 28_ None. 

1928- 29_2 class 3A. 

If our recommendations for the absorption of excess kindergartners 
by the regular grades and for the gradual replacement of teachers of 
special subjects by a smaller number of supervisors are adopted and 
made effective immediately, it will be possible to reduce the estimate 
for 1928-29 in the same amount that the number of these teachers 
can be reduced during that year. 








PART IV 


THE BUILDING SITUATION 


A review of the history of the development of the Washington 
public schools indicates that the school authorities have always had 
difficulty in procuring sufficient funds to meet the needs for buildings 
and sites occasioned by an increasing school enrollment and by 
obsolescence. This has been due, we believe, in large measure to the 
“pay-as-you-go” policy of financing expenditures of the District 
government, which makes impossible the consummation of any large 
program of capital additions over a short period of time withoutJan 
undue increase in the tax rate of the District of Columbia. 

Congressional Investigation—1882. 

At various times the shortage of schoolhouse accommodations has 
become so acute as to provoke special congressional investigations. 
By a resolution of the House of Representatives, approved on Febru¬ 
ary 20, 1882, a commission, consisting of a surgeon of the United 
States Army, the United States Commissioner of Education, and the 
Architect of the United States Capitol, was appointed to make an 
exhaustive survey of the school-building situation in the District of 
Columbia and to report to the House with recommendations. The 
commission’s report indicates that a serious shortage of schoolhouse 
accommodations existed at that time. It states in part: 

The amount appropriated for the construction of new buildings in the District 
during the last three years has not been sufficient to do more than meet the 
demand for accommodation due to the annual increase of the pupils during the 
same time. * * * 

It is believed that this statement sufficiently accounts for the fact that there 
has been little or no diminution in the number of rented buildings, notwithstand¬ 
ing the number of new buildings which have been constructed. 1 

The commission recommended increased appropriations for the 
construction of school buildings. In this connection, its report 
states: 

The commission has carefully considered the existing wants of the District for 
additional school accommodation. 

Looking at this side of the cpiestion only, it would appear that there is at the 
present time great demand for additional school buildings. * * * Taking all 

these things into consideration it is the opinion of the commission that for the next 
three or four years at least the sum of $100,000 per annum should be expended 
in the construction of new buildings upon plans to be approved by a board of 
experts, and that, setting all other considerations aside, it will be much more 
economical to make this expenditure than to pay the rents of the structures which 
these new buildings would replace. 


1 36 buildings generally unsuitable for school purposes were rented at the time, which represented 27 per 
cent of the total school-building facilities. 


99 





100 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Congressional Investigation—1906-1908. 

Again in 190G, by the organic act establishing the present school 
system, Congress created a schoolhouse commission, consisting of the 
superintendent of schools of the District of Columbia, the Supervising 
Architect of the United States Treasury, and the Engineer Commis¬ 
sioner of the District of Columbia, which was charged with the duty 
of formulating a general school-building program for the considera¬ 
tion of Congress. The commission submitted its report on February 
25, 1908, containing 18 recommendations, of which the following are 
of particular interest at this time. 

Immediate Abandonment of Ten Buildings. 

The commission recommended the immediate abandonment of the 
following school buildings: Potomac, McCormick, Thomson, John F. 
Cook, Threlkeld, High Street, Hillsdale, Bunker Hill, Garfield, and 
Johnson Annex. 

The following tabulation shows the location of each building, the 
year erected, its present status, and the number of years elapsed 
before the recommendation was carried out: 


Building 

Year 

erected 

Present status 

Number of 
years be¬ 
fore recom¬ 
mendation 
was carried 
out 

Potomac School, Twelfth Street be¬ 
tween Maryland Avenue and E 
Street SW. 

1870 

Abandoned as a school building in 1912; 
now used as a storehouse. 

4 




McCormick School, Third between 
M and N Streets SE. 

1870 

Demolished in 1916-17 by act of Congress 
taking site into navy yard. 

8 

Thomson, Strong John, School, 
Twelfth and L Streets NW. 

1877 

Old brick structure demolished in 1911 
when new building was erected. 

3 

Cook, John F., School, 0 near Fifth 
Street NW. 

1868 

Abandoned as a school building in 1926; 
now used as a storehouse. 

18 

Threlkeld -School, Thirty-sixth and 
Prospect Streets NW. 

1868 

Abandoned for regular grades in summer 
of 1919; since then used for children in 
atvpical classes. 


High Street School, Wisconsin Ave¬ 
nue and Thirty-third Street NW. 

1853 

Demolished in 1910; lot now used as the 
site of Wisconsin Avenue Manual Train¬ 
ing School, erected in 1912. 

2 

Hillsdale School, Nichols Avenue SE. 

1871 

Abandoned in 1913; lot only_ 

5 

Bunker Hill School, Bunker Hill 
Road, between Fourteenth and 

1883 

Brick building (1 room) still standing in 
rear of new building; not used. 

5 

Sixteenth Streets NE. 



Garfield School, Alabama Avenue 
and Twenty-fifth Street SE. 

1887 

Demolished in 1910; new building erected 
on site in 1910. 

2 

Johnson Annex School, Hiatt Place 
and Lamont Street NW. 

1871 

Demolished in 1916; lot now part of the 
site of the Johnson School erected in 
1895. 

8 


Attention is invited to the fact that although the Threlkeld School 
was abandoned for regular grade work in 1919 it is still being used for 
atypical classes, and that most of the buildings were continued in use 
for several years after the recommendation for immediate abandon¬ 
ment was made. 

Early Abandonment of Eight Other Buildings. 

The commission recommended the early abandonment of the fol¬ 
lowing schools: Webster, Abbot, Berret, Lincoln, Force, Adams, 
Bradley, and Jefferson. 

The following tabulation shows the location of each building, year 
erected, number of rooms, and the present use: 












PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


101 


Building 

Year 

erected 

Rooms 

Present use 

Webster School, Tenth and H Streets NW. 

1884 

12 

Americanization school and elementary 
school; white. 

Abbot School, Fifth Street and New York 

1869 

9 

Elementary school; white. 

Avenue NW. 



Berret School, Fourteenth and Q Streets 
NW. 

1889 

9 

Offices of directors of music, drawing, and 
kindergartens, and manual arts center. 

Lincoln School, Second and C Streets SE... 

1871 

12 

Elementary school; colored. 

Force School, Seventeenth and Eighteenth 
Streets NW. 

1879 

12 

Elementary school; white. 

Adams School, R Street between Seven- 

1888 

8 

Do. 

teenth Street and New Hampshire Ave¬ 
nue NW. 


Bradley School, Thirteenth between C and 

1887 

8 

Do. 

D Streets SW. 



Jefferson School, Sixth and D Streets SW.. 

1872 

20 

Junior high school; white. 


With the exception of the Berret School each of these buildings 
recommended for early abandonment is still being used to its full 
capacity as a school. The Berret is now used for teaching domestic 
science, domestic art, and manual training to pupils sent there from 
other schools in the vicinity; it also contains the offices of the direc¬ 
tors of drawing, kindergartens, and music. 

Assembly Halls and Gymnasiums. 

The commission also recommended a more liberal provision in new 
buildings for assembly halls and gymnasiums, but no consistent 
policy was adopted until recently regarding these facilities. Certain 
elementary school buildings, which have been erected or enlarged 
since 1908, have been provided with assembly halls, while others 
have not. No elementary schools in the District of Columbia are 
provided with gymnasiums, although the 16-room buildings erected 
during the last few years under the five-year building program con¬ 
tain a combination gymnasium and assembly hall. 

Playgrounds and Athletic Fields. 

The commission recommended a more liberal provision for play¬ 
ground space and the establishment of athletic fields, but many of 
the elementary schools still have inadequate playgrounds according 
to generally accepted standards. However, in most of these cases 
provision has been made in the five-year building program for the 
purchase of additional land. 

Increased Appropriations for Sites and Buildings. 

The commission recommended “a substantial increase in the size 
of the appropriation for sites and buildings for the next three to 
five years to make up for the present backward condition of our 
schools due to insufficient appropriations for new buildings of recent 
years.” In discussing this recommendation the commission stated: 

Within the past 10 years the total of appropriations for new buildings, including 
the purchase of sites, has been about $2,850,000. In the fiscal years 1901, 1902, 
1907, 1908 only did the appropriations for new school buildings and sites exceed 
$300,000. It should also here be noted that this period of 10 years has seen the 
erection in the District of two of its high schools, besides the Armstrong Manual 
Training School. It is believed by the commission that in these 10 years the 
District has fallen behind in the construction of new buildings to the extent of at 
least $2,000,000, and that there exists now an immediate need for new construc¬ 
tion to meet this defect, a need which should be remedied by as liberal appropria¬ 
tions as possible for the succeeding two or three years. * * * The commis¬ 

sion believes that an authorization in new school buildings and grounds for the 










102 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


fiscal year 1909 of about $1,000,000 should be made, and that about the same sum 
should be appropriated for each of the three or four succeeding years, after which 
time a normal basis will be reached of about $600,000 per year for new buildings 
and from $100,000 to $150,000 a year for repairs to buildings, to plumbing, and to 
heating and ventilating apparatus. These figures are based on an authorization 
or requirement of a better class of construction in the building. Most of the 
latest buildings in the District are not fireproof and are built at a cost of about 
113^ cents per cubic foot. It is believed that the type of construction should be 
raised to a cost of about 17 cents per cubic foot, the cost decreasing for the larger 
buildings. This contemplates fireproof construction, up to the ceiling of the top 
floor. 

The amounts appropriated by Congress for buildings and grounds 
during the period 1909-1920, as compared with the amounts recom¬ 
mended by the commission, are as follows: 


Year 

Amount rec¬ 
ommended by 
the commis¬ 
sion 

Amount ap¬ 
propriated 

1909_ 

$1.000,000. 00 

$528, 000. 00 

1910_ 

1, 000, 000. 00 

807,000.00 

1911.. 

1, 000, 000. 00 

613, 500.00 

1912.. 

1,000, 000. 00 

739, 725. 00 

1913_ 

600, 000.00 

139,000.00 

1914_ 

600, 000. 00 

597, 000. 00 

1915.. 

600, 000. 00 

1,053, 300. 00 


Year 

Amount rec¬ 
ommended by 
the commis¬ 
sion 

Amount ap¬ 
propriated 

1916_ 

$600, 000. 00 

$775, 500. 00 

1917... 

600,000.00 

387,930. 50 

1918.. 

600, 000. 00 

753, 500. 00 

1919.___ 

600, 000.00 

1 7,150.00 

1920___ 

600,000. 00 

2 60,000. 00 

Total_ 

8,800,000. 00 

6,461, 605.50 


1 Excluding $231,000 provided for portables as an emergency war measure. 
‘ Excluding $23,000 provided for portables as an emergency war measure. 


The above tabulation shows that during the period 1909 to 1920 the 
appropriations for school buildings and grounds were approximately 
$2,500,000 less than the amount recommended by the commission. 
Meanwhile, the cost of construction had risen from 17 cents per cubic 
foot in 1908 to 50 cents per cubic foot in 1920, and the school enroll¬ 
ment had increased to an extent that could not have been foreseen in 
1908. Continually rising prices, coupled with the restrictions placed 
upon building by the War Industries Board, practically brought 
schoolhouse construction to a standstill during the war and the 
immediate postwar periods. In fact, the appropriations for the fiscal 
years 1919 and 1920, with a few minor exceptions, covered portable 
buildings only, while approximately $1,000,000 which was available 
for expenditure on definitely authorized projects during the fiscal year 
1918 remained unexpended at the beginning of the fiscal year 1921. 

Shortage of Schoolhouse Accommodations, 1920. 

The shortage of schoolhouse accommodations at the beginning of 
the fiscal year 1921, therefore, was without doubt the most serious 
that had existed in the history of the Washington public schools. It 
was estimated that $10,000,000 would have been required at that time 
to make up for this shortage, including the replacement of buildings 
previously recommended for abandonment. The estimates of school- 
building needs submitted to Congress for the fiscal year 1921, however, 
did not reflect the true situation, for the commissioners had reduced 
the requests of the Board of Education in order to keep the total esti¬ 
mates of appropriations for the entire District government within the 
limits set by law. 

The item for buildings and grounds, public schools, carried in the 
regular 1921 appropriation act, approved June 5, 1920, amounted to 


































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 103 

but $402,600, which, with the exception of one new item, covered 
additional amounts on account of increased construction costs for 
projects already authorized. The regular appropriation act for the 
fiscal year 1922, approved February 22, 1921, carried $980,000 for 
buildings and grounds, as compared with the commissioner’s esti¬ 
mate of $1,702,000. In this connection, it is interesting to note that 
both the commissioners and the school officials called the attention 
of the House Appropriations Subcommittee to the serious shortage 
in schoolhouse accommodations at the hearings held on the 1922 
District of Columbia appropriation bill, and suggested that the 
funds needed might be raised by a bond issue. 

Meanwhile, the superintendent of schools had made an exhaustive 
study of the schoolhouse situation and had submitted to the Board 
of Education, on December 1, 1920, a special report on schoolhouse 
accommodations. This report indicated that 183 additional class¬ 
rooms were needed immediately to provide adequately for pupils 
actually enrolled in the elementary schools, which it was estimated 
would cost $5,327,500. These classrooms were distributed as 
follows: 

Classrooms 


To eliminate the use of portable schoolhouses__ 72 

To eliminate rented quarters_____ 1 15 

To eliminate undesirable rooms_ 21 

To reduce oversize classes_ 57 

To eliminate part-time classes_ 18 


Total_ 2 183 


The superintendent recommended in his report that a compre¬ 
hensive building program should be undertaken immediately, which 
should provide the city with 200 additional elementary school class¬ 
rooms within the following two years. He analyzed the elementary 
classroom situation by divisions of the city, indicating where addi¬ 
tional facilities were required and pointing out the most urgent needs. 
The superintendent also invited attention to the congestion in the 
high schools at the time, but made no definite recommendations for 
the immediate future, since the proposed establishment of two junior 
high schools, and the opening of the new Eastern High School, which 
had already been authorized and partially appropriated for, would 
provide some rehef to the high schools then in operation. 

Appropriations for Buildings and Grounds, 1921-1925. 

The regular appropriation act for the fiscal year 1921 provided 
funds sufficient to place only 48 elementary classrooms under con¬ 
struction, while the regular 1922 appropriation act authorized 16 
additional elementary classrooms. In view of the inadequacy of 
these appropriations, steps were taken by the Board of Education, 
after the passage of the regular appropriation act for 1922 on Febru¬ 
ary 22, 1921, to secure relief by a deficiency appropriation. 

Accordingly, the Commissioners of the District, upon the request 
of the Board of Education, submitted to Congress supplemental 
estimates to cover the cost of urgently needed school sites and build¬ 
ings. This resulted in the inclusion in the second deficiency act, 


1 This figure was later revised to 41. 

a This total does not include buildings recommended for abandonment in 190S which were still in use at 
the time. 










104 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

1921, approved June 16, 1921, of buildings and grounds items for 
the public schools amounting to $1,544,000 and the authority to enter 
further into obligations on this account in the amount of $400,000. 
Thirty-six additional elementary-school classrooms and two 24-room 
junior high schools were provided for, Excluding 16 elementary 
classrooms authorized for replacement of unsuitable quarters, which 
were not included in the superintendent’s report of shortages. It 
was estimated that the two junior high schools would include accom¬ 
modations equivalent to 28 elementary classrooms. Therefore, the 
regular appropriation acts of 1921 and 1922, the second deficiency 
act of 1921, and prior appropriation acts provided for but 128 
elementary classrooms as against the shortage of 183 existing in 
November, 1920. 

The items carried in these appropriation acts were not sufficient, 
therefore, to make up for the shortage of schoolhouse accommodations 
that existed in November, 1920, leaving out of consideration the 
abandonment of buildings then in use which had been recommended 
for immediate or early abandonment in 1908. Moreover, the increase 
in enrollment of the schools, which demanded the addition of about 
25 classrooms annually, had not been provided for. The superin¬ 
tendent of schools in his annual report for the fiscal year 1921 in 
discussing the building problem recommended that a definite policy 
be adopted whereby the deficiencies of the past should be made up 
within a reasonable period of time. He said: 

The superintendent of schools believes that it will take an expenditure of an 
additional appropriation of more than $2,000,000 annually (exclusive of additional 
items on account of projects already authorized) for a period of five or more 
years before the children of the public schools will be housed adequatelj\ The 
request for $2,000,000 in the deficiency bill was based upon the general belief 
on the part of school and district officers that a similar appropriation annually 
for a period of years would be a better policy than a larger appropriation made 
at any one time. 

The regular appropriations for school buildings and grounds for 
the fiscal years 1923, 1924, and 1925 were not made in accordance 
with the program of $2,000,000 a year recommended by the super¬ 
intendent. In fact, $1,400,000 of the $2,036,000 appropriated for 
1923 covered additional items on accoimt of projects previously 
authorized, leaving only $636,000 for new projects, while the appro¬ 
priation for 1924 amounted to $1,300,000 and that for 1925 to $1,242,- 
500. In addition, $32,260 became available in 1924 by the deficiency 
act approved April 2, 1924. The annual appropriations for school 
buildings and grounds for the fiscal years 1921 to 1925 may be 
summarized as follows: 

1921—Available at the beginning of the year for projects previously 


authorized_ $921, 785 

Appropriation act_ 402, 600 

1922— Appropriation act_ 980, 000 

Second deficiency act, 1921_ 1, 544, 000 

1923— Appropriation act_ 2, 036, 000 

1924— Appropriation act_ 1, 300, 000 

Deficiency act, 1924_ 32, 260 

1925— Appropriation act___ 1, 242, 500 


8, 459, 145 

While these funds relieved the congestion to some extent, they 
fell far short of providing facilities to house adequately the school 











105 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


population of the District. It will be recalled that the superintendent 
of schools estimated that at the beginning of the fiscal year 1921 the 
accumulated shortage of schoolhouse accommodations amounted to 
$10,000,000. Meantime, the enrollment of the schools had increased 
from 58,711 in 1921 to 64,906 in 1925. Moreover, in 1923, the school 
authorities adopted the policy of a full school day for the pupils of 
grades 1 and 2 of the elementary schools, who had previously 
attended school for a half day only. This made necessary 150 addi¬ 
tional element ary classrooms on account of the elimination of part- 
time classes. 

During the period covering the school years 1920-21 to 1924-25, 
inclusive, 161 new elementary classrooms were opened, while 24 
classrooms were under construction at the close of the school year 
1924-25. Two new junior high schools of 24 rooms each and one 
new senior high school with an estimated capacity of 1,800 pupils 
were also opened during this period, while at the close of the school 
year 1924-25 additions to senior high schools providing accommoda¬ 
tions for approximately 1,350 pupils were under construction. 

Five-Year Building Program. 

The superintendent’s comparison of the building situation as of 
November 1, 1920, and November 1, 1924, follows: 

Report of shortage of schoolhouse accommodations, elementary schools, November 

1, 1920, and November 1, 1924 


Classrooms needed: 

To eliminate portables.....-.. 

To eliminate rented quarters...... 

To eliminate undesirable rooms___-.. 

To reduce oversize classes...... 

To eliminate part-time classes— 

Grades 1 and 2....... 

Above grade 2----- 

To abandon buildings recommended for immediate abandonment in 1908, still in 

use..- r __-----. 

To abandon buildings recommended for early abandonment in 1908, still in use.. 

To abandon other buildings now unfit for use..-.-.. 

Total.-.-.-.— 


1920 

1924 

73 

57 

41 

24 

21 

30 

57 

40 

i 150 

123 

18 

6 

2 12 

2 12 

3 90 

3 90 

* 25 

5 66 

487 

448 


1 Although the policy of full-time for grades 1 and 2 was not adopted until 1923, these rooms are included 
in 1920 in order to make the totals for 1920 and 1921 comparable. 

2 John F. Cook, 8 rooms; Threlkeld, 4 rooms. 

3 Abbot, 9 rooms; Adams, 8rooms; Berret, 9 rooms; Bradley, 8rooms; Force, 12 rooms; Jefferson, 20rooms; 
Lincoln, 12 rooms; Webster, 12 rooms. 

* Bell, 8 rooms. Chain Bridge, 1 room (abandoned in 1923); Hamilton, 4 rooms; Smothers, 4 rooms (aban¬ 
doned in 1922); Tenley, 8 rooms. 

‘ Bell, 8 rooms; Hamilton, 4 rooms; Tenley, 8 rooms; Arthur, 8 rooms; Brightwood, 8 rooms; Garnet, 
12 rooms; Langdon, 10 rooms; Patterson, 8 rooms. 


Report of shortage of schoolhouse accommodations, high schools, November 1, 1920, 

and November 1, 1924 



1920 

1924 


7,720 
8,984 

9,300 
12,271 



1,264 

2,971 































106 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


In view of the representations made from time to time by the school 
authorities and the District Commissioners relative to the acute 
schoolhouse situation that came into being during the war and imme¬ 
diate postwar periods, the subcommittees on schools and playgrounds 
of the Committees on the District of Columbia of the Senate and 
House of Representatives made an inquiry into the matter, which 
resulted finally in the passage of the five-year school building program 
act on February 26, 1925. The Senate subcommittee held hearings 
on the “building program” of the public schools on May 5, 6, and 7, 
1921, when the superintendent’s special report on schoolhouse accom¬ 
modations of December 1, 1920, was given consideration. Joint 
hearings on schools and playgrounds were held on December 16, 1921, 
and continued through January 9, 19, 27, February 10 and 17, and 
June 22, 1922. Consideration was given by the joint subcommittee 
to various phases of the organization and administration of Wash¬ 
ington’s public-school system. On February 26, 1923, the report of 
the subcommittee entitled “Reorganization of the schools of the 
District of Columbia” (Senate Doc. No. 315, 67th Cong., fourth 
session) was submitted to the Committees of the Senate and House 
of Representatives on the District of Columbia. Among other things 
the subcommittee recommended “that a definite policy be adopted 
which shall provide from year to year sufficient schoolhouse accom¬ 
modations, in order that it make it possible for the Board of Educa¬ 
tion to eliminate part-time instruction, the use of portable school- 
houses, the use of undesirable school buildings now accommodating 
classes, and the reduction of the size of classes in both elementary 
and high schools to the standard generally accepted as desirable.” 
It was on the basis of this report and the testimony obtained by the 
committee, together with information collected by the school officials, 
that the legislation authorizing the five-year school building program 
was prepared. 

The five-year school building program act is a legislative authori¬ 
zation for making appropriations from year to year, in order that by 
1930 the school children of Washington will be suitably housed in 
buildings adequate to provide the instruction and training which an 
up-to-date system of public education ought to provide. 

The purpose of the act is stated in its preamble as follows: 

That it is the purpose of this act, which shall hereafter be known as the five- 
year school building program act, to provide a sufficient number of school build¬ 
ings to make it possible: To abandon all portables; to eliminate the use of rented 
buildings; to abandon the use of undesirable rooms; to reduce elementary school 
classes to a standard of not more than 40 pupils per class; to provide a five- 
hour day of instruction for elementary school pupils, thereby eliminating part- 
time classes; to abandon all school buildings recommended for immediate or 
early abandonment in 1908; to abandon other school buildings which have 
become unfit for further use since 1908; to provide a full day of instruction for 
high-school pupils thereby eliminating the “double-shift” program in the high 
schools; to provide for the annual increase in enrollment of pupils during said 
five-year period; and, in general, to provide in the District of Columbia a program 
of schoolhouse construction which shall exemplify the best in schoolhouse plan¬ 
ning, schoolhouse construction, and educational accommodations. 

The five-year school building program act authorizes the purchase 
of land for school sites and school playgrounds in particular vicinities 
and the construction of buildings of specified capacity for elementary 
schools, vocational schools, junior high schools, and senior high 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 107 

schools. The policies of the Board of Education in respect to the 
following matters were indorsed by the provisions of the act: 

(1) The conduct of the school system on the 6-3-3 basis; that is, 
six years of elementary school work, three years of junior high school 
work, and three years of senior high school work. 

(2) The establishment of elementary school units of 16 or more 
regular classrooms. In such cases where 16 rooms are not needed 
immediately, provision is made for four or eight room extensible 
units with the intention of enlarging such buildings as the need arises. 

(3) The provision of a combined assembly hall and gymnasium 
for each elementary school building of 16 rooms or more. 

(4) The provision of special facilities for instruction in manual 
training for boys and domestic art and domestic science for girls in 
each 16-room elementary school building. 

(5) The provision of adequate outdoor play space for all pupils. 

The act provides that it shall become effective on the 1st day of 

July, 1925, and that estimates of expenditures for buildings and 
grounds for the public schools shall thereafter be prepared in accord¬ 
ance with its provisions. 

It was estimated at the time of the passage of the act that the five- 
year building program would cost $20,185,000. On this basis appro¬ 
priations of $4,037,000 annually for five years would have been 
necessary to complete the program as planned. 

Appropriations applicable to the projects included in the five-year 
building program have been made as follows for the fiscal years 1926, 
1927, and 1928: 


Fiscal year 1926 2 — 

Regular appropriation act_$1, 495, 000 

Second deficiency act, 1925_ 2, 534, 000 

First deficiency act, 1926_ 138, 000 

Fiscal year 1927— 

Regular appropriation act_____ 2, 296, 000 

Fiscal year 1928— 

Regular appropriation act_ 2, 794, 250 


Total_ 9, 257, 250 


At the annual rate of $4,037,000 contemplated by the five-year 
school building program act, a total of $12,111,000 would have been 
necessary for these three years. The program will, therefore, be 
$2,853,750 in arrears at the close of the fiscal year 1928. 

Construction Under Five-year Program. 

The construction under the 1926 and 1927 appropriations has 
supplied a sufficient number of rooms to provide accommodations for 
the increased elementary school enrollment during these years and 
to reduce by 56 rooms the shortage which existed in 1924. The 
following table shows the condition on October 14, 1927, as compared 
with November 1, 1924. The shortages indicated as of October 14, 
1927, are based upon our detailed analysis of the enrollment on that 
date. 


a Excluding additional items on projects authorized prior to the adoption of the five-year building program. 

88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-8 











108 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Report of shortage of schoolhouse accommodations, elementary schools, November 1, 

1924, and October 14, 1927 



1924 

1927 

Classrooms needed: 

To eliminate portables_ _ 

57 

64 

To eliminate rented quarters___ 

24 

21 

To eliminate undesirable rooms_ _ 

30 

18 

To reduce oversize classes_____ 

40 

36 

To eliminate part-time classes— 

Grades 1 and 2_ 

123 

99 

Grade 3___ _« -_ _ 

6 

4 

To abandon buildings recommended for immediate abandonment in 1908, still in use. 

12 

14 

To abandon buildings recommended for early abandonment in 1908, still in use_ 

90 

90 

To abandon other buildings now unfit for use... 

66 

2 54 


448 

390 

Less:........... 

3 20 

3 18 

Totals_______ . 

428 

372 



1 The reduction from 12 to 4 is accounted for by the abandonment of the John F. Cook School in 1926. 

2 The reduction from 66 to 54 is accounted for by the abandonment of the Hamilton School in 1925, and 
the Patterson School in 1927. 

3 Our analysis indicates that the usual method of computing the number of rooms needed to reduce over¬ 
size classes to normal size overstates the needs by approximately 50 per cent. A corresponding deduction 
has therefore been made in both 1924 and 1927. 

It is estimated that the construction items included in the 1928 
appropriation act will result in a further reduction of about 40 rooms 
in this shortage. 3 When these rooms become available several old 
buildings including Garnet and Langdon will be abandoned, and it 
will be possible to eliminate some of the portables and reduce the 
number of part-time classes. 

With reference to the high school accomodations the net excess of 
2,971 pupils in 1924 has been reduced to 2,073 in 1927. The com¬ 
pletion of the McKinley Technical High School and two new junior 
high schools (Gordon and Garnet-Patterson) will probably reduce 
this shortage by another 1,000 pupils. 

The slow progress indicated above in reducing the accumulated 
shortages of the war and postwar years is largely due to the fact 
that the appropriations for the three fiscal years 1926, 1927, and 1928 
were nearly $3,000,000 less than three-fifths of the total estimated 
cost of the five-year building program. Another factor was the 
abnormal increase in average enrollment during the school year 
1927 which amounted to 4,195 pupils, or slightly more than twice the 
average annual increase for the previous 10-year period. 

Analysis of the Five-year Building Program. 

A detailed study of the five-year building program indicates that 
on the whole it was carefully prepared with due regard to the needs 
of the various sections of the city. Of course, some modifications 
will be necessary on account of shifts in both the white and colored 
populations which could not have been foreseen. These modifica- 
cations will involve the entire elimination of certain items, the post¬ 
ponement of others, and the transfer of several from one division to 
another. 

The buildings still to be constructed under the five-year program, 
including those already appropriated for, will provide a total of 407 
elementaiy classrooms. On October 14, 1927, the shortage of school- 

3 This estimate makes due allowance for rooms required to provide for the normal increase in enrollment 
during the year. 






















PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 109 

house accommodations in elementary schools was 374 rooms. There¬ 
fore, if the five-year building program is carried out as originally 
planned this shortage will practically be eliminated by the end of 
1930, making due allowance for such additional rooms as will be 
necessary on account of increased enrollment in the fiscal years 1929 
and 1930. The proposed junior high schools will also provide accom¬ 
modations for ninth-grade pupils sufficient to eliminate the congestion 
which still exists in the senior high schools. 

The following analysis of the remaining items in the five-year pro¬ 
gram is based upon a tabulation of the school census of 1926 -27, 
a series of spot maps showing the residence of each census child and 
a survey of the present school-building facilities. A study was also 
made of enrollment figures for the past 10 years, and in order to bring 
the analysis up to date the number and distribution of the school 
' children and the schoolhouse accommodations as of October 14, 1927, 
were minutely analyzed. 4 

At the present time the main centers of congestion in the white 
schools (Divisions I to IX) are in the first and third divisions. The 
appropriations for 1928 and the budget for 1929 will provide accom¬ 
modations sufficient to relieve the overcrowding in the schools of 
the third division. However, the schools of the first division, outside 
of Georgetown, especially in Cleveland Park, Tenleytown, and Chevy 
Chase, will receive little if any relief, since the only item included for 
these rapidly growing sections is an eight-room school at Grant 
Road. Some provision for additional construction in the first divi¬ 
sion is undoubtedly the most pressing need in Divisions I to IX at this 
time. Another item which should be included at an early date is the 
eight-room addition to the Park View School. 

The main center of congestion in the colored schools (Divisions X 
to XIII) is in the tenth and eleventh divisions north and south of 
Florida Avenue between North Capitol and Fourteenth Streets. 
Only one item of construction, the Garnet-Patterson Junior High 
School, is carried in the 1928 appropriations and the 1929 budget for 
this congested area. Little relief may be expected from this junior 
high school, since two elementary schools, the Garnet and the Pat¬ 
terson, must be razed to make way for the new structure. Some 
provision for an addition to the elementary schools in this neighbor¬ 
hood is therefore the most pressing need in Divisions X to XIII. 
Additional construction should also be provided in 1929 in the con¬ 
gested section of Division XIII north of the Lovejoy School. 

In the following pages the five-year building program will be 
analyzed by divisions. The items in the 1928 appropriation act and 
in the 1929 Budget will be enumerated in detail, and certain changes 
will be suggested in the Budget items and in the remaining construc¬ 
tion items based upon our studies of census and enrollment statistics. 

The following table shows by divisions as of October 14, 1927, the 
number of portables, the number of undesirable rooms, the number 
of part-time classes, the number of excess pupils in over-size classes, 
and the number of vacant rooms. 6 


‘ Maps and tabulations will be found at the end of this part of the report. 

» A schedule showing this information in detail as to individual schools will be found at the end of this 
part of the report. 



110 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Table showing evidences of congestion in the elementary schools on October 14, 1927 


Division 

Number 
of port¬ 
ables 

Number 
of unde¬ 
sirable 
rooms 

Number 
of part- 
time 
classes 

Number 
of excess 
pupils in 
oversize 
classes 

Number 

of 

vacant 

rooms 

White schools: 






I... 

12 

5 

30 

213 

4 

II, IV, VIII .. 

1 



18 

3 

m....... 

11 

1 

22 

187 

5 

v . ... 

8 

4 

20 

101 

3 

VI . 

4 


14 

101 

2 

VII...... 

5 

2 

14 

74 

1 

Total (white). 

41 

12 

100 

694 

1 18 

Colored schools: 






X, XI....... 

14 

5 

48 

306 


XIII.. 

9 

1 

58 

433 

3 

Total (colored).. 

23 

6 

106 

739 

3 

Grand total (white and colored)... 

64 

18 

206 

1,433 

i 21 


1 8 of these rooms have been occupied since this report was prepared on October 14, 1927. 


Division I 

The following projects have been authorized for 1928 in Division I: 
A four-room building at Potomac Heights, and the Gordon Junior 
High School. The Potomac Heights School will afford relief to the 
Reservoir School, and will make possible the abandonment of the anti¬ 
quated one-room Conduit Road School. The Gordon Junior High 
School will relieve congestion in the Georgetown schools, especially 
Curtis, Hvde, and Fillmore, by taking over their seventh and eighth 
grades. For 1929 the budget includes only an eight-room building 
at Grant Road and Ellicott Street. There are only three elementary 
schools in this large and rapidly growing section of the city, namely, 
E. V. Brown, Tenley-Janney, and John Eaton. Since the opening 
of the school year, two portables have been erected at Wesley Heights 
and three at Grant Road to provide accommodations for the children 
of the lower grades. E. V. Brown has 10 part-time classes and 3 
portables, John Eaton has 6 part-time classes and 1 portable and 
Tenley-Janney has 2 part-time classes. All of these schools also 
have a number of oversize classes. Moreover, the Tenley School has 
for a number of years been listed as unfit for use by the superinten¬ 
dent of schools, and the medical inspector of the department of health 
reported in June, 1927, that “the building is extremely old and should 
be abandoned when the opportunity permits/’ The eight-room build¬ 
ing at Grant Road will therefore afford little relief to this district. 
In our opinion the most feasible way to relieve the congestion at the 
schools mentioned above is to expedite the construction of the Reno 
Junior High School. We therefore recommend not only an appro¬ 
priation for a site for the Reno School but also an appropriation for 
plans and specifications and for starting construction. 

Of the remaining items for Division I in the five-year program one 
is for construction, namely, an eight-room addition to the Janney 
School, and four are for land for elementary schools, namely, in 
Wesley Heights, at Connecticut Avenue and Upton Street, at Foxhall 
Road and Calvert Street, and for an addition to the E. V. Brown 










































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 111 

School. The addition to the Janney School is designed to replace 
the present Tenley School. With reference to the sites mentioned 
above, provision should bo made in the 1929 appropriations for the 
acquisition of those at W r esley Heights and the E. V. Brown School. 
The site at Connecticut Avenue and Upton Street is centrally 
located in a large and growing residential section, but the one at 
Eoxhall Road and Calvert Street should be relocated to the east 
because it is too near the proposed Potomac Heights and W r esley 
Heights Schools. However, schools will not be needed at these two 
sites for several years to come. 

Divisions II, IV, and VIII 

Divisions II, IV, and VIII will be treated under one heading, 
since they are considered a single administrative unit under one super¬ 
vising principal. With the exception of the Jefferson Junior High 
School, the schools in these divisions are not crowded; they have 
no part-time classes; and several of the schools have vacant rooms. 
The only items carried in the 1928 appropriation act for these divi¬ 
sions are plans and specifications for a 24-room building at Nine¬ 
teenth Street and Columbia Road, and the 1929 Budget includes the 
construction of this building and the construction of a four-room 
addition to the Bowen School in lieu of the previously authorized 
addition to the Amidon School. The 24-room building at Nine¬ 
teenth Street and Columbia Road is designed to replace the Force 
and Adams Schools, which were recommended for early abandon¬ 
ment by the congressional committee in 1908. The four-room addi¬ 
tion to the Bowen School is designed to house the special classes 
now occupying a rented building at 810 Sixth Street SW. 

The remaining items in the five-year building program for Divi¬ 
sions II, IV, and VIII are land and a 12-room addition to the Fair- 
brother School to replace the Bradley School, land and building to 
replace the Abbot School, and land and building to replace the Jeffer¬ 
son Junior High School, all of which were recommended for early aban¬ 
donment in 1908. In view of the projected Federal building program 
in the territory served by the Bradley School, we believe that the 
addition to the Fairbrother School should be reconsidered. The 
-eight-room building to replace the Abbot School is an item which 
may be transferred to another district since an elementary school 
is not needed for this purpose on account of the changed character 
of the neighborhood. Last year the Abbot School was converted 
from an elementary school into a vocational school, and it will serve 
this purpose until some other building becomes available. With 
reference to the Jefferson Junior High School, some provision should 
be made in the 1929 appropriations for replacing this school, since 
noise and smoke nuisances result from its close proximity to the 
railroad, and the building is poorly adapted to junior high school 
needs. 

Division III 

The following projects have been authorized for 1928 in Division 
III: An eight-room addition to the Barnard School and plans for the 
Brightwood Junior High School. For 1929 the Budget includes the 
construction of the Brightwood Junior High School, an eight-room 


112 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

addition to the Raymond School, an eight-room building at Four¬ 
teenth and Upshur Streets, and plans and specifications for an eight- 
room building at Fourteenth Street and Kalmia Road. In our 
opinion all of these requests with the possible exception of the last 
item, at Fourteenth Street and Kalmia Road, should be granted. The 
eight-room addition to the Barnard School will eliminate four part- 
time classes and relieve congestion at the Truesdell School, which 
now has three portables. The eight-room addition to the Raymond 
School will also eliminate four part-time classes and afford some relief 
to a crowded school in Division V, namely, the Park View School, 
which has six part-time classes and five portables. The eight-room 
building at Fourteenth and Upshur Streets will serve a rapidly grow¬ 
ing section and relieve the Petworth School, which has six part-time 
classes and two portables. The Brightwood Junior High School 
will afford relief to all the schools in the northern section of Division 
III, especially the Takoma School, and will also make possible the 
abandonment of the annex to the Macfarland Junior High School at 
the old Brightwood School. We are of the opinion that the plans and 
specifications for the school at Fourteenth Street and Kalmia Road 
may wait for another year, because it is doubtful whether the present 
development of this section will justify an eight-room building for 
several years to come. Serious consideration should also be given 
to constructing an addition to the Takoma Park School as a sub¬ 
stitute for the proposed school at Fourteenth Street and Kalmia Road. 

The remaining items for Division III in the five-year program are a 
4-room addition to the Keene School, a 4-room addition to the 
Truesdell School, an 8-room addition to the Bancroft School, a 
second wing for the Macfarland Junior High School, and land for a 
school at Sixteenth and Webster Streets. At the present time the 
Keene School has 4 regular classrooms and 3 portables to house 
its 7 classes. The Woodburn section, which is served by the Keene 
School, has developed slowly during the past five years, but the 
present enrollment is sufficient to justify a four-room addition in 
the near future. The four rooms at Truesdell will be required eventu¬ 
ally to replace the old section of the present school. The addition to 
the Macfarland Junior High School is not an urgent item in view of the 
contemplated construction of the Brightwood Junior High School to 
the north. As far as the Bancroft addition is concerned, it should be 
considered in connection with the Powell Junior High School. The 
capacity of the latter should be enlarged, since it now serves only four 
elementary schools in its immediate vicinity, namely, Bancroft, John¬ 
son, Hubbard, and Raymond. The Monroe, the Cooke, and the 
Morgan Schools, which may be considered in its district, are not served 
by any junior high school. When the Bancroft is enlarged it may be 
possible to work out some plan for transferring the children at the 
Johnson to neighboring schools and converting the Johnson into an 
addition to the Powell. If this plan is not feasible the Powell may 
require a third-story addition to increase its capacity sufficiently to 
accommodate all the seventh and eighth grade children in its neigh¬ 
borhood. With reference to the site at Sixteenth and "Webster Streets, 
we are of the opinion that this item may be postponed indefinitely. 
The section to the west of Sixteenth Street between Randolph Street 
and Biagden Avenue is sparsely populated and will be adequately 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTBICT OF COLUMBIA 113 

served for some time to come by the present West School, the pro¬ 
posed school at Fourteenth and Upshur Streets, and the addition to 
the Bancroft School. 

Division V 

The following projects have been authorized for 1928 in Division 
V: A 16-room building to replace the present Langdon School and 
the completion of an addition to the Langley Junior High School. 
For 1929 the budget includes only plans and specifications for the 
Brookland-Woodridge Junior High School. The 16-room building 
in Langdon is designed to replace the present 10-room frame structure 
and two rented rooms, and the four additional rooms should provide 
some relief to the crowded Brookland School, which now has three 
portables and six part-time classes. The addition to the Langley 
Junior High School will provide adequate facilities for the seventh, 
eighth, and ninth grades in its present district and a proposed exten¬ 
sion to the west in contemplation of the eventual replacement of the 
Columbia Junior High School. The Brookland-Woodridge Junior 
High School will furnish junior high school instruction for a rapidly 
growing suburban area. 

The remaining items in the five-year program in Division V are 
land for a building north of Michigan Avenue, land for a building at 
Twelfth Street and Rhode Island Avenue, and an eight-room addition 
to the Park View School. As far as the site on Michigan Avenue 
is concerned, it is located in a section which has developed rapidly 
in recent years, and the two-room Bunker Hill School, now housing 
three classes, is no longer adequate to serve the community. Pro¬ 
vision should therefore be made in the 1929 appropriations for acquir¬ 
ing this site. The site at Twelfth Street and Rhode Island Avenue, 
however, should be carefully reconsidered in its relation to the rail¬ 
roads on the south and the west. At the present time there are few 
dwellings on the south side of Rhode Island Avenue in this neighbor¬ 
hood, and it is doubtful whether any development of a residential 
character will be undertaken on account of the presence of a large 
cemetery and the close proximity of the railroad yards. Moreover, 
a school at Twelfth Street and Rhode Island Avenue would not be 
located advantageously to serve the children of Edgewood Park, 
which is located in a pocket between the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 
and Glenwood Cemetery. Some of these children must now walk 
nearly a mile to school at Emery-Eckington, but the distance to the 
proposed school would not be reduced, because the only \va,y to 
reach it is by way of Rhode Island Avenue. 

The Park View School has approximately 1,000 pupils enrolled in 
a 16-room building and 5 portables. Six classes have been placed 
on part time, and the grades from the third to the eighth have been 
platooned in order to utilize all the space in the building for instruc¬ 
tional purposes, including the auditoriujn, two playrooms, and a 
third-floor corridor. In 1927, 8154,000 was appropriated for nn 
eight-room addition to the school, but, due to a controversy con¬ 
cerning the exact nature of the addition, this amount was made avail¬ 
able for the general purchase of land. Some solution of this problem 
should be devised immediately in order that construction may be 
started at an early date. 


114 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Division VI 

There are no items for Division VI in either the 1928 appropriations 
or the 1929 budget. The remaining items in the five-year program 
for this division are land and building for the Kingsman Junior High 
School, the construction of two wings at the Stuart Junior High 
School, and a four-room addition to the Kenilworth School. In our 
opinion the 1929 appropriations should include an item for the 
Kingsman site in order to provide junior high school facilities for the 
children of this district and to release elementary school rooms for 
future enrollment. The additional wings for the Stuart Junior High 
School will not be needed for several years. The Kenilworth item 
may be postponed indefinitel} 7 as the section has not grown in accord¬ 
ance with expectations. 


Division VII 

Only one project has been authorized for 1928 in Division VII, 
namely, a six-room addition to the Bryan School, which will relieve 
congestion at both the Bryan and the Buchanan Schools, where there 
are now two portables and eight part-time classes. There are no 
items for Division VII in the 1929 budget. The remaining items for 
this division in the five-year program are a four-room addition to 
the Buchanan School and a four-room addition to the Lenox School. 
The four-room addition to the Buchanan will be needed in the near 
future, but the four-room addition to the Lenox may be postponed 
indefinitely because the white population in this section is moving to 
the east. It is probable that the four-room addition to the Buchanan 
will also afford relief to the Cranch and Tyler Schools, where there 
are now six part-time classes. The four rooms not needed at the 
Lenox School may be transferred to the Congress Heights School, 
which is using two portables and two undesirable rooms in an old 
frame building. 

Divisions X and XI 

Divisions X and XI will be treated under one heading since they 
are considered a single administrative unit under one supervising 
principal. The only items authorized for 1928 in these two divisions 
are completion of the Garnet-Patterson Junior High School and 
plans and specifications for an eight-room addition to the Morgan 
School (in place of the Wilson School which will be converted from a 
colored to a white school). Since the Garnet-Patterson Junior 
High School is being erected on the site of the present Garnet School 
and the former Patterson School it will afford little relief to this 
congested colored section. The 1929 Budget includes an 8-room 
addition to the Morgan School and a 10-room addition to the Francis 
Junior High School. The addition to the Morgan School will make 
possible the elimination of three portables and will provide accom¬ 
modations for a congested area south of Florida Avenue. The 
addition to the Francis Junior High School was not contemplated by 
the five-year building program but may be considered as a substitute 
for the eight-room addition to the Phillips School. It will provide 
junior high school facilities for an increasing school population and 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 115 

afford relief to the Briggs, Montgomery, and Phillips Schools, each 
of which has two part-time classes. 

The remaining items in the five-year program for Divisions X and 
XI are land and an eight-room addition to the Garrison School, a 
four-room addition to the Military Road School, and a four-room 
addition to the Reno School. It is planned to move the Health 
School, which now occupies the Harrison School, to a new site and 
convert this building into a regular elementary school. The Har¬ 
rison School and the addition to the Garrison School are both needed 
in addition to the Gamet-Patterson Junior High School in order to 
relieve congestion at the Garrison, Cleveland, and Bruce Schools, 
and to house the pupils now attending the Garnet School, which will 
be razed on February 1, 1928. The Garrison School has 6 portables 
and 2 part-time classes, the Cleveland has 4 portables and 10 part- 
time classes, and the Garnet has 1 portable and 8 part-time classes. 
In our opinion the four-room additions are not needed at the Reno 
and Military Road Schools, and the eight rooms should be trans¬ 
ferred to this congested Florida Avenue section in order to afford 
relief to the Mott, Langston, and Cook Schools. The Mott has 10, 
the Langston has 6, and the Cook has 2 part-time classes, and each 
of these schools also has a number of oversize classes. It is believed, 
therefore, that the 1929 appropriations should include both the land 
and addition at the Garrison School, and that provision should be 
made in the following year for eight additional rooms in the eastern 
part of the Florida Avenue section. 

Division XII 

The only item for Division XII, a site for the new Health School, 
is carried in the 1929 Budget. This may be considered a substitute 
item, since it was not carried as such in the five-year program. The 
original plan was to construct an addition to the Harrison School 
containing a rest room, a dining room, and a kitchen, and to convert 
it into a health school. But the Harrison School has been found 
unsuitable for this purpose, and it is now planned to construct a 
Health School on a more appropriate site and to convert the Harrison 
School into a regular elementary school. 

Division XIII 

There are no projects authorized in 1928 for Division XIII, but 
the 1929 budget includes an eight-room addition to the Burrville 
School, and land and an eight-room building to replace the old Bell 
School. The 1927 appropriation included a four-room addition to 
the Smothers School, which will become available on February 1, 
1928. The net increase is, therefore, 12 rooms during three years in 
a highly congested division with 9 portables, 58 part-time classes, 
and 89 oversize classes with an excess of 433 pupils. The five-year 
building act authorizes land and additions for the Deanwood, 
Birney, and Lovejoy Schools, and additions for the Crummel and 
Syphax Schools, as well as a 12-room building to replace the 
Cardozo School 6 and a 16-room building to replace the Lincoln 


• Formerly called the Randall School. 



116 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

school. In our opinion appropriations should be granted in 1929 
for the construction of the eight-room addition to the Lovejoy School 
as well as for the site. This addition will afford relief both to the 
Lovejoy and Logan Schools, which have eight and six part-time classes, 
respectively. The eight-room addition to the Burrville School, noted 
above as being included in the 1929 Budget, will eliminate two port¬ 
ables and eight part-time classes. The four-room addition to the 
Smothers School will be opened in February and result in the elimina¬ 
tion of two portables. The additions to Burrville and Smothers 
will relieve congestion somewhat at the Deanwood School which is 
in the same section of the city. However, the complete elimination 
of the eight part-time classes at the Deanwood School will not be 
possible until its addition is constructed. The additions to the 
Crummel, Birney, and Syphax Schools will all be needed in the near 
future. Crummel has four part-time classes, Birney has two part- 
time classes and one portable, and Syphax has four part-time classes 
and two portables. When the Shaw Junior High School moves into 
the old McKinley Building, the eight-room Simmons Building now 
used b} 7 Shaw will become available for an elementary school. These 
eight rooms will be used to relieve congestion at the Banneker, Jones, 
and Douglas Schools, which now have eight part-time classes, and 
to house the regular classes now at the Twining School, which will be 
converted into a special center for atypical children. With reference 
to the replacement of the Lincoln and Cardozo Schools, both of these 
buildings are in bad condition and should be abandoned as soon as 
new buildings can be constructed to house their pupils. 

Junior High Schools. 

The junior high schools in the five-year building program have all 
been considered above under their respective divisions. When the 
five-year program is completed the large majority of seventh, eighth, 
and ninth grade children will be housed in junior high schools. At 
the present time several of the recently constructed junior high 
schools are not filled to capacity because they were designed to accom¬ 
modate the increase in enrollment in their districts for several years 
to come. Two more junior high schools, one white and one colored, 
will probably be needed at some future time in order to provide 
accommodations for all such children, with the possible exception of 
seventh and eighth grade children attending elementary schools in 
the eastern section of the city on the other side of the Anacostia 
River. The white school will probably be located in the northwest 
in the neighborhood of Scott Circle, and the colored school in the 
northeast in the neighborhood of the Lovejoy School. When the 
white junior high schools have all been constructed it will undoubt¬ 
edly be possible to close the Columbia Junior High School, which 
now serves the entire city, and convert it into a vocational school. 
This will make possible the abandonment of the old Abbot School 
which is now used for vocational instruction. 

With reference to the seventh and eighth grade children attending 
the schools across the Anacostia River, it is improbable that their 
number will justify separate junior high schools in that section of 
the city for a number of years to come. However, junior high school 
departments might be established at the Ketcham-Van Buren and 
the Deanwood Schools in order to provide junior high school facilities 
in those neighborhoods. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


117 


Senior High Schools. 

Under senior high schools there are two remaining items in the 
five-year program, namely, a new building for the Business High 
School and land for an extension to the Armstrong Technical High 
School. In our opinion the new Business High School is not an 
urgent item and its construction should be postponed until the program 
of elementary school and junior high school construction has been 
completed. Since 1922 the enrollment at the Business High School 
has been gradually reduced, and although it is still in excess of the 
rated capacity, the congestion is not serious. Moreover, no definite 
plans have been made for the use of the old Business High School 
when the new building becomes available. With reference to the land 
item for the Armstrong Technical High School the site should be 
acquired as soon as possible, but the addition will not be needed for 
several years to come. 

Summary of Building and Land Items. 

A summary of the remaining items in the five-year program indi¬ 
cating our opinion as to the order of precedence for both buildings 
and land is given below. 


Divisions I-IX. White 


Rank 

Division 

Buildings 

1 

I 

Grant Road, 8 rooms. 

2 

I 

Reno Junior High School (and land). 

3 

V 

Park View, 8-rcom addition. 

4 

III 

Fourteenth and Upshur Streets, 8 rooms. 

5 

VIII 

Jefferson Junior High School (and land). 

6 

III 

Raymond, 8-room addition. 

7 

IV 

Nineteenth Street and Columbia Road, 24 rooms. 

8 

VIII 

Bowen, 4-room addition. 

9 

III 

Brightwood Junior High School. 

10 

V 

Brookland-Woodridge Junior High School. 

11 

VI 

Kingsman Junior High School (and land). 

12 

III 

Keene, 4-room addition. 

13 

VII 

Congress Heights, 4-room addition in place of addition to Lenox. 

14 

I 

Jannev, 8-room addition. 

15 

III 

Fourteenth Street and Kalmia Road, 8 rooms. 

16 

III 

Truesdell, 4-room addition. 

17 

VII 

Buchanan, 4-room addition. 

18 

III 

Bancroft, 8-room addition. 

19 

VIII 

Fairbrother, 12-room addition (and land). 

20 

VI 

Stuart Junior High School, addition. 

21 

III 

Macfarland Junior High School, addition. 

22 

I-IX 

Business High School. 


The proposed addition to the Kenilworth School and the building 
to replace the Abbot School are not needed and may be transferred 
to other localities. 


Rank 

Division 

Land 

1 

I 

Reno Junior High School. 

2 

VIII 

For replacement of Jefferson Junior High School. 

3 

VI 

Kingsman Junior High School. 

4 

I 

For addition to E. V. Brown School. 

5 

I 

Weslev Heights. 

6 

V 

Michigan Avenue NE. 

7 

I 

Connecticut Avenue and Upton Street. 

8 

VIII 

For addition to Fairbrother School. 



















118 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The sites at Twelfth Street and Rhode Island Avenue and at 
Foxhall Road and Calvert Street should be reconsidered as suggested 
above. The land items at Sixteenth and Webster Streets and at the 
Lenox and Abbot Schools are not needed and may be transferred to 
other localities. 

Divisions X-XIII Colored 


Rank 

Division 

Buildings 

1 

XII 

Health School (and land). 

2 

XIII 

Old Bell, 8 rooms (and land). 

3 

XIII 

Burrville, S-room addition. 

4 

X 

Garrison, 8-room addition (and land). 

Morgan, 8-room addition. 

5 

X 

6 

X 

Francis Junior High School, addition in place of addition to Phillips School. 

7 

XIII 

Lovejov, 8-room addition (and land). 

8 

XI 

Substitute 8 rooms in Division XI for proposed additions to Reno and Military Road 

9 

XIII 

Lincoln-Giddings, 16 rooms (and land). 

10 

XIII 

Cardozo (Randall), 12 rooms. 

11 

XIII 

Crummell, 6-room addition. 

12 

XIII 

Syphax, 4-room addition. 

13 

XIII 

Deanwood, 8-room addition (and land). 

14 

XIII 

Birney, 8-room addition (and land). 

Rank 

Division 

Land 

1 

XII 

Health School. 

2 

XIII 

For replacement of Old Bell School. 

3 

X 

For addition to Garrison School. 

4 

XIII 

For addition to Lovejoy School. 

5 

XIII 

For replacement of Lincoln School. 

6 

XIII 

For addition to Deanwood School. 

7 

XIII 

For addition to Birnev School. 

8 

X-XIII 

For addition to Armstrong High School. 


Gymnasium-Assembly Halls. 

The remaining gymnasium-assembly hall items in the five-year 
building program for schools which now have 16 or more rooms are as 
follows: Eaton, Takoma, Wheatley, Buchanan, Bruce, Garrison, 
Douglas-Simmons, Lovejoy, and Deanwood. When these have been 
constructed all schools with 16 or more rooms except Emery, Monroe, 
and Stevens will be provided either with assembly halls or combination 
gjunnasium-assembly halls. The 1929 Budget includes the construc¬ 
tion of halls at the Takoma and Wheatley Schools, and plans and 
specifications for the halls at the Eaton and Buchanan Schools. 
Playgrounds. 

Only 4 out of 26 playgrounds carried in the five-year program have 
been appropriated for. The remaining playground items are as fol¬ 
lows : 

Division I. Addison, Eaton, Toner, and Jackson Schools. 

III. Hubbard, Johnson, and Petworth Schools. 

V. Brookland and Eckington Schools. 

VI. Benning, Ludlow, and Carbery Schools. 

VII. Cranch and Ivetcham-Van Buren Schools. 

X. Montgomery, Stevens, and Sumner-Magruder Schools. 

XI. Slater-Langston School. 

XIII. Banneker, Douglas-Simmons, Jones, and Payne Schools. 

There is no doubt about the need of additional playground space 
adjoining the above-mentioned schools. In nearly all cases the 
present playground area is considerably less than the generally 
accepted standard of 50 square feet for each pupil regularly enrolled. 
















PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 119 

On account of the restricted playground area at many of these 
schools, it is necessary for the children to play in the streets during 
the morning and afternoon recesses and during the lunch hour. More¬ 
over, teachers are handicapped in their efforts to conduct outdoor 
lessons in physical training by the lack of adequate playground space. 

Cost of the Remaining Items in the Five-Year Building Program. 

It will be recalled that it was estimated at the time of the passage 
of the five-year school building act that the program would cost 
$20,185,000. Appropriations made to date applicable to projects 
included in the program amount to $9,257,250, leaving a balance of 
$10,927,750 still to be provided for on the basis of this estimate. A 
careful review of the remaining building and land items in the light 
of present construction costs and land values indicates that it will 
require approximately this amount to complete the program. 

If the purpose of the five-year school building act is to be carried 
out, therefore, appropriations in the approximate amount of $11,000,000 
will have to be provided during the two remaining fiscal years of the 
five-year period, 1929 and 1930. The 1929 Budget contains items 
for buildings and grounds for the public schools amounting to $2,478,- 
500, including only .$95,000 for land covering two building sites. 
The appropriations for 1928 carried but $37,250 for land items, 
covering two buildings sites and two playgrounds. Twenty-one 
building site items and 22 playground items included in the five-year 
program remain to be appropriated for, and unless the 1929 approp¬ 
riations provide for the majority of the site items, the school and 
district officials will be seriously handicapped in preparing a 
satisfactory construction program for the fiscal year 1930. In view 
of the 125 per cent restriction Congress has placed upon land pur¬ 
chases, the Budget Bureau has established the practice of not includ¬ 
ing in the Budget, with few exceptions, land items which investigation 
by the commissioners indicates can not be acquired within 125 per 
cent of then assessed valuation. This accounts for the few land 
items included in the 1928 and 1929 Budgets. No recommendation 
is made in regard to the 125 per cent restriction, however, for it is 
understood that Congress has under consideration a revision of the 
method of acquisition of land in the District of Columbia by the Fed¬ 
eral and District Governments, including a change in the condemna¬ 
tion jury and court procedure. 

Attention is invited to the fact that in other large cities capital 
expenditures of this magnitude are usually financed by long-term 
bond issues. The District of Columbia, however, has been on a 
“pay-as-you-go” fiscal basis since the establishment of the perma¬ 
nent commission form of government in 1878. 

Plans and Specifications of New Buildings. 

The Bureau of Efficiency is now engaged in making a survey of 
the office of the municipal architect, which is charged with the respon¬ 
sibility, under the general supervision of the commissioners, of pre¬ 
paring the plans and specifications of school buildings, of letting 
contracts therefor, and of supervising construction. The report on 
these activities will be submitted later. 

Attention is invited at this time to the fact that in the matter of 
instructional space the facilities provided by Washington in its new 
school buildings have been adopted as standard by many of the large 


120 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


cities of the United States. In elementary schools these facilities 
include in addition to the regular classrooms, manual-arts rooms, 
household-arts rooms, libraries, first-aid rooms, and auditoriums. 
With reference to gymnasiums, a number of cities provide both 
auditoriums and gymnasiums, but not many have adopted the com¬ 
bination auditorium-gymnasium, which Washington has included in 
its standard plan. The present tendency in elementary-school con¬ 
struction seems to be toward the provision of separate auditoriums 
and gymnasiums of smaller size occupying together relatively the 
same space as the large auditorium or the combination auditorium- 
gymnasium. The smaller units are designed for continuous use with 
small groups, whereas the large unit is designed to accommodate the 
whole student body at one time. 

In junior high schools practically all cities provide in addition to 
regular recitation rooms, shops, laboratories, domestic science and 
domestic art ’'ooms, drawing rooms, auditoriums, gymnasiums, 
libraries, lunch rooms, and first-aid rooms. All of these facilities are 
included in Washington’s new junior high schools. 

The standard plans for Washington’s new school buildings, there¬ 
fore, conform to the plans which have been generally adopted by the 
large cities of the United States. But revisions will have to be made 
in these plans from time to time as a result of experience and changes 
in curriculum and methods. It is therefore suggested that two com¬ 
mittees be appointed by the superintendent of schools, one for 
elementary schools and one for junior high schools, to make a con¬ 
tinuous study of building facilities as they relate to educational needs. 

Conclusions and Recommendations. 

In concluding this section of the report several suggestions will be 
made concerning the selection of future building sites. As previously 
indicated no use has been made in the past of the school census for 
this purpose. When the school statistician is appointed, he should 
be required to undertake continuing studies of population distribution 
and enrollment statistics which shall serve as a basis for all future 
building programs. His studies of population trends should make it 
possible to locate sites in outlying districts before the cost of land 
reaches prohibitive figures. When such sites are purchased they 
should be large enough to provide for playground space and for future 
expansion. It is a short-sighted policy to wait until a district has 
developed before purchasing land for additions to present buildings. 

At the present time Washington has too many small elementary 
school buildings. The policy in the past seems to have been to con¬ 
struct new schools as neighborhoods developed instead of building 
additions to existing schools. Repetition of this error should be 
guarded against in the future. The proposed building at Sixteenth 
and Webster Streets is a case in point. There is hardly a square in 
the District to be served by a school at this location which does not 
fall within a half-mile radius of the West, the Bancroft, or the Four¬ 
teenth and Upshur Street schools. 

The present administration has adopted a 20-room 7 elementary 
school building accommodating a maximum of 680 pupils as the 
standard for future construction. Smaller buildings are usually 


7 16 regular classrooms, 1 kindergarten room, and 1 manual-training room, 1 domestic-science room, and 
1 domestic art room. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 121 

constructed so that they may be expanded into the larger standard 
size buildings when the increasing enrollment justifies an addition. 
These are all steps in the right direction. As the city becomes more 
densely populated it is proposed to build elementary schools of even 
larger size such as the new Adams School, which will accommodate 
1,000 pupils. There is no doubt that large units of this character 
may be administered more advantageously both from an educational 
and a business standpoint than isolated units of smaller size. The 
initial cost of the large building is relatively less, and it makes possible 
the economical use of special rooms, a more constant use of certain 
parts of the equipment, and a finer adjustment of grading and 
promotion plans. 

In locating new buildings care should be exercised to avoid sites 
which are adjacent to natural barriers such as parks and rivers, 
because they severely restrict the area to be served by the school 
and often result in undersize classes and vacant rooms. The Toner, 
the Van Ness, and the Bradley Schools are examples of such faulty 
locations. These are all buildings which were constructed under 
former administrations. The new buildings provided for in the 
five-year program have on the whole been centrally located. 

A final consideration in connection with the location of buildings 
is freedom from noise and other distractions. Locations near a rail¬ 
road or adjacent to heavily traveled thoroughfares should therefore be 
avoided. The Jefferson School was recommended for early abandon¬ 
ment in 1908 mainly on account of its proximity to the railroad, but 
in 1922 the new Bell School was constructed on the other side of the 
same railroad. It may be pointed out in this connection that ideal 
sites are not always available, and that the final choice of a site must 
be the result of certain compromises. But definitely undesirable 
sites should in every case be avoided even though the initial cost of 
a desirable site may seem high. 

A summary of the recommendations included in this part of the 
report is as follows: 

1. New schools should be erected in accordance with needs as 
indicated by the various evidences of congestion in their districts. 
(The two tables on page 117 and page 118 indicate our opinion as to 
the order of precedence of the various building items.) 

2. The appropriations for 1929 should include the majority of the 
site items in the five-year building program if schoolhouse construc¬ 
tion is not to be seriously handicapped during the fiscal year 1930. 

3. Two committees should be appointed by the superintendent of 
schools, one for elementary schools and one for junior high schools, 
to make a continuous study of building facilities as they relate to edu¬ 
cational needs. 

4. The selection of building sites should be based upon an analysis 
of both the school census and the enrollment reports, supplemented 
by studies of the surveys of public utility companies, the volume of 
building operations, etc. 

5. Sites should be centrally located with reference to the districts 
which they are designed to serve, and should be relatively free from 
noise and other distractions. 

6. Sites should be large enough to provide adequate playground 
space and room for future expansion. 


122 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

7. Small elementary school units should not be constructed when 
extensions to existing schools will provide the additional accommo¬ 
dations required. 

Table showing evidences of congestion in the elementary schools on October 1J+, 1927 

WHITE SCHOOLS 


Division I 


Addison_ 

Brown_ 

Grant Road_ 

Conduit Road. 

Corcoran. 

Jackson... 

Curtis.... 

Hyde.. 

Eaton.... 

Fillmore. 

Grant. 


Number 
of port¬ 
ables 


Weigh tman_ 

Toner.... 

Oyster_ 

Reservoir_ 

Tenley.. 

Janney.. 

Wesley Heights. 

Total_ 


Divisions II, IV, and VIII 


Morgan.. 

Thomson. 

Webster.. 


IV 


Force... 

Adams. 

Henry.. 

Polk.... 


Number 
of unde¬ 
sirable 
rooms 


Number 
or part- 

time 

classes 


2 


12 


10 


30 


Number 
of excess 
pupils, 
oversize 
classes 


4 

68 


2 

9 

6 

31 

32 
7 


Number 
of vacant 
rooms 


4 

4 

23 

23 


213 


12 


« 4 


vni 


Amidon_ 

Bradley_ 

Fairbrother. 

Rossell_ 

Greenleaf_ 

Smallwood.. 
Bowen_ 


»1 


Total. 


Division III 


Barnard_ 

Brightwood. 

Cooke_ 

Hubbard_ 

Raymond... 

Johnson_ 

Bancroft. 

Keene.. 

Petworth_ 

Ross. 

Takoma_ 

Truesdell_ 

West_ 

Whittier. 


Total. 


11 


22 


18 


3 

10 

21 

1 

19 

31 

5 


13 


30 

21 

11 

22 


187 


53 


'Two of these rooms are now used by the elementary science teachers (Dec* 15, 1927)* 
* This room is now occupied by a regular class (Dec. 15, 1927). 
s One of these rooms is now occupied by a regular class (December 15, 1927). 
























































































































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 123 

Table showing evidences of congestion in the elementary schools on October 14, 1927 — 

Continued 

WRITE SCHOOLS 


Brookland—_ 
Bunker Hill. 
Burroughs... 

Emery_ 

Eckington... 

Gage.. 

Gales.. 

Arthur_ 

Langdon 

Monroe. 

Seaton.. 

Blake. 

Woodridge.. 
Park View.. 


Division V 


Total. 


Division VI 


Benning.... 

Blair_ 

Hayes.. 

Blow. 

Edmonds... 

Maury_ 

Kenilworth. 

Kingsman.. 

Ludlow_ 

Taylor. 

Madison_ 

Peabody.... 

Hilton_ 

Carbery.... 

Pierce_ 

Webb. 

Wheatley— 


Number 
of port¬ 
ables 


Number 
of unde¬ 
sirable 
rooms 


Number 
or part- 
time 
classes 


20 


Number 
of excess 
pupils, 
oversize 
classes 


3 

18 

2 

9 

10 

11 

20 

8 

5 

1 

10 


101 


Number 
of vacant 
rooms 


4 

4 

10 

1 

2 

15 

1 


> 1 

3 


a 1 


Total- 


14 


Division VII 


Brent__ 

Dent.. 

Bryan___ 

Buchanan... 

Congress Heights.. 

Cranch. 

Tyler. 

Ketcham__ 

Van Buren... 

Randle Highlands. 

Orr... 

Stanton.. 

Van Ness. 

Wallach__ 

Towers. 


1 

6 

44 


101 


1 

14 

12 

7 

5 

4 


16 


‘ 1 


10 


• 1 


Total . 


14 


74 


1 This room is now occupied by a regular class (Dec. 15, 1927). 

• This room is now used for manual training (Dec. 15, 1927). 

* This room is now used for basketry and sewing (Dec. 15, 1927). 


88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1--9 



















































































































124 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Table showing evidences of congestion in the elemenatry schools on October H, 1927 — 

Continued 

COLORED SCHOOLS 



Number 
of port¬ 
ables 

Number 
of unde¬ 
sirable 
rooms 

Number 
or part- 
time 
classes 

Number 
of excess 
pupils, 
oversize 
classes 

Number 
of vacant 
rooms 

Divisions X and XI 






X 






Briggs . . ... 



2 



Montgomery 



2 



Bruce _ _ . .. _ _ 


5 

4 

29 


Chain Bridge _ _ _ . __ 






Cleveland_____ 

4 


16 

45 


Garrison _ ____ 

6 


2 

44 


Military Road ____ _ _ 




2 


Phillips _ .... .. 



2 

1 


Reno _ ____ . _ 




5 


Stevens ____ ___ 




1 


Sumner ...... 




12 








Wilson ____ 

3 



21 


W ormley _ _____ 




3 


XI 






Cook .. _ - _ __- 



2 

34 


Garnet_____- 

1 


8 

40 


Mott ___- _ 



10 

35 


Slater . _ - ___ _ _ 




12 


Langston ____ _ 



6 

22 


Total_____ 

14 

5 

48 

306 

0 

Division XIII 






Ambush,_ . 




14 


Banneker_____ ___ 



4 

42 


Jones...... . .. 



2 

34 


Bates Road___ _ 

1 





New Bell___ , _ 




11 


Birney......... 

1 


2 

19 


Burrville_ __ _ 

2 


8 

35 


Cardozo___ ___ 



2 

29 


Old Bell...________ 

.I„ 


2 


Crummell...... 

1 

4 

5 


Deanwood_ . 

I. 

8 

19 


Douglas_ . 



2 

20 


Twining__ _____ 


... 

2 



Garfield__ 





3 

Lincoln_ _____ 




13 


Giddings_____ 

l 


4 

56 


Logan. _ _ . __ 



6 

33 


Lovejoy_ 



8 

36 


Payne.......... 


. 

2 

14 


Smothers_ _ _ ___ 

2 

1 


20 


Syphax........ . 

2 


4 

31 


Total...... 

9 

1 

58 

433 

3 

Grand total...... 

64 

18 

206 

1,433 

« 21 


• Eight of these rooms were in use on Dec. 15, 1927. 





















































































































125 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Exhibit 8 


Table showing age distribution of children of census age (S to 17, inclusive) resident 
in the District of Columbia, school year 1926-27 


3.. 

4.. 

5.. 

6 .. 

7.. 

8 .. 
9.. 
10 . 
11 . 


Number of children 

Age 

Number of children 

White 

Colored 

Total 

White 

Colored 

Total 

2,680 

1,385 

i 4,065 

12.. 

4,813 

2,126 

6,935> 

4,451 

2,153 

‘ 6,604 

13..... 

4,712 

2,202 

6,914 

5,362 

2,536 

> 7,898 

14_ 

4,745 

2,276 

7,021 

5, 548 

2,689 

8,237 

15__ 

4,524 

2,002 

6,526 

5, 122 

2,362 

7,484 

16.. 

4,298 

1,977 

6, 275- 

5,074 

2, 174 

7,248 

! 17__ 

3,912 

1,646 

5,558 

4,811 

2,065 

6,876 

No record. 

45 

74 

119 

4, 758 
4,641 

2,152 
2,151 

6,910 

6,792 

Total .. 

69,496 

31,970 

101,466 


1 It is doubtful whether this total includes all the children of the age indicated on account of the difficulty 
of securing a complete enumeration of children of preschool age. 


Exhibit 9 


Table showing classification of children of census age (8 to 17, inclusive) in the 
District of Columbia, school year 1926-27 


Enrolled at school: 

Public schools in District of Columbia.. 

Parochial schools in District of Columbia. 

Private schools in District of Columbia.._.. 

Correctional schools in District of Columbia..- 

Public schools outside District of Columbia.... 

Parochial schools outside District of Columbia_ 

Private schools outside District of Columbia.... 

Schools outside District of Columbia (kind not reported) 

Total...... 

Not enrolled at school: 

Under compulsory school age.. 

Deficient.... 

Employed— 

Above compulsory school age.. 

Compulsory school age— 

With permit...... 

Without permit.... 

Others— 

Above compulsory school age___ 

Compulsory school age--- 

Age not reported.... 

Total.....— 

Grand total.... 


Number of children 

White 

Colored 

Total 

45,691 

23,869 

i 69,560 

6,995 

733 

7,728 
2,856 

3 2, 789 

67 

3 u 

4 102 

116 

51 

38 

89 

22 

5 

27 

127 

12 

139 

503 

222 

725 

56,192 

25,048 

81,240 

9,848 

4, 941 

14, 789 

149 

69 

218 

2,136 

937 

. 3,073 

75 

19 

94 

194 

165 

359 

659 

428 

1,087 

239 

349 

588 

4 

14 

18 

13, 304 

6, 922 

20, 226 

69, 496 

31,970 

101,466 


1 This does not include the enrollment of nonresidents and pupils IS years of age and over as foliows. 
Nonresidents, white, 2,253; colored, 224; total, 2,477; pupils 18 years of age and over, white, 1,024; colored: 
1,041; total, 2,665; grand total, 5,142. 

J Includes students in Columbia Institution for the Deaf. 

3 National Training School. 

4 National Training School and Industrial Home School. 



















































































126 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OP COLUMBIA 


Exhibit 10 




Type of school 

Number of children 

White 

Colored 

Total 


2,263 

250 

284 

224 

6 

2 

2,477 

256 

286 

Parochiafschoofs, Districted Columbia.-.----- 

Private schools, District oi t oiumoia- 

2,787 

232 

3,019 


Exhibit 11 


Table showing by certain age groups 
school age, the number enrolled m 
Columbia, school year 1926-27 


Age group 


Total, 7 to 13 years, inclusive. 

Number enrolled- 

Per cent enrolled- 

Total, 14 and 15 years 1 ... 

Number enrolled-. 

Per cent enrolled—. 


the total number of children of cympm^ory 
*rhnnh nml the ver cent enrolled, Distnct oj 



White 

Colored 

Total 


33,931 

15,232 

49,163 
4 ft 690 

" " 

33, 4 15 
99.36 

98.31 

99.04 

. 

9,269 

8,861 

95.60 

4,278 
3,949 
92.31 

13,547 
12,810 
94.56 


i Children of these ages may be excused from attendance at 


school if lawfully and regularly employed. 


"jjssftrir^sf3i-Bas»asa tssrts 

1926-27 


Age group 


Total under compulsory school age (3 to 6, . % 183 

Number enrolled. 

8 210 

Total above compulsory school age (16 and 17).""""! 5 ’,394 

Number enrolled. 



6, inclusive).-. i 1 ?’ 


Exhibits 8 and 9 represent “no record childre . 
















































































Elementary School Divisions (White), Public Schools, District of Columbia 


Exhibit 12 



'W 


SLBVOiR 






l-'Z . X 


;V" •’ 

n Tn v 


txcrttnTAKr amo vocational schools 

JUNIOR HISH SCHOOLS 
HIGH SCHOOLS 


pofcrr 


rEETiog^ 


1926 

HIGHWAYS tN FULL LINES 

DOTTED LINES 


NORMAL SCHOOL 


existinc 

EHOFOSED 


NtW LOCATIONS 


8S733--28. (Facep. 12G.) No. 1 


I > ts 


/ 

» 

k 



















































































’ A 


RESERVOIR 


Z °OlO Gl 


ti-i'c. Hiif 


CANAL 


Tnrrr 


SS 5 S 5 & 


WASHINGTON 


HOSPl^^ 


ELIZABETHS 


o 7^^ c 


C °lUMB 


,,UT ' n ' kxKV„, 


ISLAND 


p o p oma c 


WHITL 


SCHOOL CENSUS 


Oelementary and vocational 


JUNIOR HIGH 


AUTHORIZATIONS AND PROPOSALS 
<C> * NEW LOCATIONS 
AUTHORIZED BUILDINGS 

191 new McKinley technical high school . 

m GORDON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 

Ml TOTOMAC HEIGHTS SCHOOL [4.((00RlUIL«n«] 

OWNED SITES 

R04. BRlGKTWOOO JUNIOR HIGH ICHnni 

R05. 19*1 STREET * COLUN8IA ROAD[R4-K0OM BUILDING) 

*01. rtlk STREET t KALMIA ROM [g. Room BUILOINS] 

SITES PROPOSED BY THE BOARD 

Of education 

*m • ssraaRsa^-- * hool ^ 

*13 R^AYf 5C HOOL i 

•14. KiNGSMAlf JUNIOR^hIo|3o^^ L ^' CJ,TA ^ T 


ADDITIONS TO PRESENT LOCATIONS 
AUTHORIZED BUILDINGS 

IOC LANGOON SCHOOL [iG-ROOM BUILDING TO REPLACE lO ROOnl 
155 BRYAN SCHOOL [G-ROOM ADDITION] 3CHOOI 1 

181. LANGLEY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL [AOOITION] 

193 BARNARDSCHOOL[» ROOM ADDITION] 

OWNED SITES 

95 GRANT ROAD [O-ROOM BUILDING] 

I8C RATNONO SCHOOL [6-ROOM AOOITION] 

SITE PROPOSED BY THE BOARD 
OF EDUCATION 

159 rAIRBROTHCR SCHOOL fl*-ROOM ADDITION TO REPLACE] 

L THE BRADLET SCHOOL I 


WEJLET HEIGHTS PORTABLES 

TVALLACH 

THRCLKCLO 

5CAT0N 

CONDUIT ROAD 

CURTIS 

AB60TT 

RCA BOOT 

fORCt 

HCNRT 

GRANT ROAD PORTABLES 
GALES 

TAN 6URCN ANNO. 

GRANT 

ANIOON 

MORSE 

BRENT 

BCNNIN6S 

BLAIR 

WEBSTER 

d:nnison 

ADOlSON 

WEIGHTHAN 

MAURY 

CARBCRT 

TOWERS 


RESERYOIR W9 

CONGRESS HEIGHTS IANNEX ifc 
E.Y BROWN 151. 

TONER W. 

HILTON 155 

EC KINGTON «G 

1AK0MA W 

HUBBARD IM 

DENT IH 

WEBB 'W 

ORR M 

9.J BOWEN M 

MORGAN 115 

KENILWORTH 1T7. 

PETWORTH >I« 

EMERY 1*4 

EDMONDS l«4 

WHEATLET '«! 

CRANCH '*8 

STANTON NO 

TRENCH *. 

LUOLOW '>3 

GAGE 1*5 

BLOW '18 

R0S3 
HTBC 


BRADLEY 

BLAKE 

SMALLWOOD 

ADAMS 

BERRET 

LENOX 

CORCORAN 

JACKSON 

ARTHUR 

MAOISON 

MONROE 

TTLER 

POLK 

VAN BOREN 

TAYLOR 

TIUNORE 

PIERCE 

JOHNSON 

BUCHANAN 

KEENE 

TEN ITT 

BROOK LAND 

GREENLEAT 

HAYES 

LANGOON 

ROSJCLL 


KETCH AM 
VAN NESS 
TRUESOCU 
H D COOKE 
BRTAN 
THOMSON 
TAIRBROTHER 
JOHN EATON 

bunker hill road 

WEST 

Wisconsin tnc. 
handle highlands 

PARK VIEW 

BURROUGHS 

KING JM AN 

BANCROn 

RAYMOND 

JANNEY 

HtALTH School 

OYSTER 

BRISHTVYOOO 

Barnaro 

Whittier 

WOODRIDGE 


JCTTER50N 

COLUMBIA 

HINE 

nactarlano annex 

POWELL 

MACTARLAND 

LANGLEY 

STUART 


KEENE SCHOOL [4-ROON AOOITION] J 

It Hi 6 WEBSTER 1TREET3 [ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SlTt] 

bancrott school Room aooition] 

ABBOTT SCHOOLpi'O «0 8R00M BUILDING TO REPLACE PREDEKT School] 
PARK VIEW [8- ROOM AOOITlON] 

MICHIGAN AVENUE,N.C. [ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE] 

KENILWORTH SCHOOL [4 ROOM AOOITlON] 

BUCHANAN SCHOOL [♦•ROOM AOOITlON] 

lenox school [UNO ♦"H-Room aooition] 

ANIOON SCHOOL [♦-KOOK ADDITION] 

MACTARUNO JUNIOR K'W SCHOOL [AOOITION] 

STUART JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL [ADDITION] 

J e 5KH,S^W^L t O^Gr OW,LO,N61 


WESTERN 

MCKINLEY 

BUSINESS 

CENTRAL 

EASTERN 


NORMAL 


FEET IOOO 


50,00 


lO.OOOFCET 


jV'KC.rq >y ff icicno. jRtvjAKY j. ■vao 


Exhibit T9A 


88738—28. (Face p. 126.) No. 2 




























































































































































































































































































































Elementary School Divisions (Colored). Public Schools, District of Columbia 


Exhibit 13 



W$mi 


tn 

I W 'XMHOO, . 3- 


HLwen^ 1 - 




MM* Ol THE 

ITUMANLM SYSTEM Ol HIUHNN 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

RED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE ENGINEER COM 1 

IN THE office of THE SURVEYOR 


• • tUNCNiAftt and vocational 30*001: 

A - JUNIOR HIGH 3CH0013 
■I * HIGH 3CH00L3 

★ * NORMAL 30*001. 


NtVI LOCATIONS 



“*« * r i ,y 

\\ 

f To 



\ \ 

" . 


88733—28. (Pace p. 126.) No. 3. 

































Exhibit 13A 







RC3CRV01R 


tuivutntt 


CANAL. 


X3vu=(ic?—g 


WASHINGTON 


H05?HAL 


LX(yB£ thS 


"RJrrvoirj 


AND 


: * CH D0T KEPKL5tNT3 ONL CHILD Of CLNSU5 ASt [THKttTO StYCNTLtN INCLUOIYC] RC5IDCNT iHTHt D15TR.ICT Of COLUMBIA IN THE. SCHOOL YEAR I92fc-I92Y 


O s ELEMENTARY £ VOCATIONAL 


15. 

IB 

IB 

M 

59 

■♦5 

4*. 

J7. 

it 


BATES ROAD PORTABLE. 
LINCOLN 


SUMNCR 
GARNET 
BANNEKER 
TWINING 
WORMLCY 
PHELPS 
MA4RU0CR 
A3. BIDDINGS 
73. BRIGGS 
72 GARRISON 
JONES 
BELL (OLD) 
AM DOOM 
SLATER 

phiujps 

HARRISON 
e*. WILSON 
90 UHLAN 
97. STEYENS 
51 PAYNE 


77. 

78. - 

79. 

80. 

SI. 

•4. 


95 DOUGLASS 
lit. BRUCE 
124. LOT E JETT 
Hi JYPHAK 
*7. 8IRNEY 
32 LANGSTON 

39, RENO 

40 nontggnew 

40 CAROOIO 

«5 OEANW008 

56. OAR^. 
u Cleveland 

fc7. CRUNNEU 

to, burrw-« 

71 MILITARY ROAt) 

7*. NAROARLJNUHintTOB 

79. BELL O'ER) 
it SMOTHERS 

BJ CHAUI SREHtROAD 

#9 j.r.cooROtw) 


JUNIOR HIGH 


28. RANDALL 
82. SHAW 
195. ERANCIS 


□ • HIGH 

129. ARMSTRONG 
174. DUNBAR 

☆ - NORMAL 


449. MINER 


Of trricitucr. JMWg 3, j| 


AUTHORIZATIONS AND PROPOSALS 
0= NEW LOCATIONS 

2i. 

210. CAROOIO SCHOOL - REPLACEMENT Or OLO OtLL AHO 

CAROOIO SCHOOLS ,,(.] 

ADOITIONSTO PRESENT LOCATIONS 
AUTHORIZED BUIL01N&3 

172. MARGARET WASHINGTON YOCA7lONALSCH[ioLr8ROOM AOOITION] 

182. SMOTHERS SCHOOL [4-KOOM AOOITION] L 

OWNED 5ITE5 

89. WILSON SCHOOL Fo-ROOM ADDITION • AOOITION WILL ACTUALLY Btl 
ImADETOTHC MORGAN SCHOOL WHICH WILL BE 
KECEIYED TON THE WHITE JlWl IN CACHANSE 

lOR THE WILSON SCHOOL J 

170. BURRYILLESCHOOL [8-ROOM AOOlTlonl 
193 ERANCIS JOHIOR HIGH SCHOOL [AOOITIOK] 

5ITE5 PROPOSED BT THE BOARD OT EDUCATION 

74 GARRI30H SCHOOL [O-ROOM AOOlTIONl 
84. HARRISON SCHOOL[g-ROOM AOOITION] J 
Itl ARMSTRONG TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOl[AOO|TION1 


REMAINING ITEMS IN THE 5 TEAR BUILDING PROGRAM, 
NOT DEFINITELY AUTHORIZED OR LOCATED, EXCLUSIVE Of 
PLAYGROUND SITES AND GYM NA3IUM-ASSEMBLY HALLS 


in. 
8L 
159. 
152 
147. 
G3 
127. 

122 


military Road school[4-room adoitioh] 

PHILLIPS SCHOOL[6-ROOM AOOITION) 

RCHO SCH00L[4-R00M AOOITION] 

DEANWOOO SCHOOL[lAHO AHO B ROOM AOOITION] 

CRUMMEU. SCHOOL[i ROOM AOOITION] 

GIOOIHGS SCMOOL(LAHO AHO IG-ROCM BUILDING TO REPLACE THE 14-ROOM URCULHSCHOOl] 
BIRNEY SCHOOLED AHO GROOM AOOITION] 

VICINITY Of LCNEJOY SCHOOLfUNO AND 8-ROOM BUILDING] 

3TPHAX SCHOOL [4-ROOM ADDITION] 


FEETiOffiL 


COLORED 


Scale: 


50,00 


SCHOOL CENSUS - 1926-1927 


lOPpOFEET 


88783—28. (Face p. 128.) No. 4 





















































































































































































DIVISIONS I-IX (WHITE SCHOOLS) 


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Table showing elementary school buildings, their location, and a general description of each —Continued 

DIVISIONS I-IX (WHITE SCHOOLS)-Continued 


130 


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WHITE SCHOOLS 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


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Table showing classification of rooms in elementary school buildings 

BIVISION I-IX (WIIITE SCHOOLS) 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 



Miscellaneous rooms 

1: 

1 dental clinic. 

1 dental clinic; 1 li¬ 

brary. 

1 library. 

1 workroom research. 

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2 Also used for coaching. 

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DIVISION I-IX (WHITE SCHOOLS)—Continued 


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


136 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, 


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Table showing classification of rooms in elementary school buildings —Continued 

DIVISION I-IX (WHITE SCHOOLS)-Continued 


138 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Number of other rooms 

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1 nurse’s room; 1 

dental clinic. 

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DIVISIONS X-XIII (COLORED SCHOOLS) 























































































































































rUBLIOSCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


139 


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Exhibit 17 

Table showing classification of rooms in normal schools, high schools, and vocational schools 

WHITE SCHOOLS 


140 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


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COLORED SCHOOLS 


P UBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTE M, 


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


141 


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PART V 

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 


Supervision over the business affairs of the public-school system is 
lodged with the business manager, who ranks as an assistant super¬ 
intendent. He directs the procurement and distribution of supplies 
and equipment in accordance with the policies adopted by the educa¬ 
tional officers, and supervises the preparation of pay rolls, the audit¬ 
ing of vouchers, and the maintenance of fiscal accounts and property 
records. The various financial statements and reports of the system 
are prepared under his supervision, and he assists the finance com¬ 
mittee of the Board of Education and the superintendent of schools 
in the preparation of the school budget. He has charge of the repair 
and alteration of buildings and the installation, repair, and replace¬ 
ment of all furniture and equipment. 

PROCUREMENT. DISTRIBUTION, AND INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES AND 

EQUIPMENT 

Procurement. 

All purchases of supplies and equipment for the public schools are 
made by the purchasing officer of the District of Columbia upon 
requisitions signed by the business manager of the school system and 
the secretary of the Board of Education, and approved by the presi¬ 
dent of the board. Staples and special materials used by several 
bureaus and offices of the Federal and District Governments are 
purchased from contractors with whom the Federal General Supply 
Committee has entered into agreement to supply all Government 
needs at terms and prices as set forth in its annual schedule of sup¬ 
plies. In the procurement of such supplies the office of the business 
manager prepares requisitions on the District purchasing officer, 
listing the items desired and indicating their reference numbers in 
the General Supply Committee schedule. After referring the 
requisitions to the District auditor for approval as to legality of 
purchase and availability of funds, the purchasing officer issues 
purchase orders upon the General Supply Committee contractors 
for delivery of the materials to the school system. Upon the receipt 
of the material on any order, the receiving officer, if everything is 
regular, certifies upon an invoice forwarded him by the office of the 
business manager that the materials have been received in good 
condition and that they are in accordance with specifications. The 
contractor’s voucher, which has in the meantime been forwarded to 
the office of the business manager for approval by the District 
auditor’s office, is then examined, approved, and returned to the 
auditor for final audit and scheduling for payment by the District 
disbursing officer. 


143 



144 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

In the matter of the procurement of special school supplies and 
equipment, which includes all textbooks and practically all school¬ 
room furniture and equipment, specifications are prepared by the 
office of the business manager in collaboration with the educational 
officers. When the proposed purchase involves an expenditure of 
$1,000 or over, proposal forms are prepared with specifications 
attached, which are sent to the District purchasing officer, who adver¬ 
tises the needs in the names of the Commissioners of the District of 
Columbia, and informs the public that sealed proposals to supply 
the same must be received up to a certain time on a particular date. 
The bids are publicly opened in the office of the secretary to the 
commissioners by a representative of the purchasing officer, and are 
sent to the purchasing office where an abstract of them is prepared. 
They are then forwarded with the abstract to the office of the busi¬ 
ness manager for recommendation as to the action to be taken. The 
business manager reviews the various proposals and decides upon the 
one whose acceptance he will recommend to the purchasing officer. 
When necessary, he advises with the educational officers in making 
his determination, and in cases of purchases involving comparatively 
large expenditures, he appoints a committee or requests the superin¬ 
tendent to appoint one to act with him in making the recommenda¬ 
tion. In a recent purchase of schoolhouse furniture (recommended 
for purchase on August 18, 1927), costing approximately $75,000, 
the committee which made a unanimous recommendation, consisted 
of the acting superintendent of schools, the first assistant superin¬ 
tendent in charge of colored schools, the business manager, the 
supervisor of manual training, and the principal of the McKinley 
Technical High School. In all cases where a proposal other than 
the lowest is recommended for acceptance, the reasons for such action 
must be stated fully, and the recommendation must receive the 
approval of the superintendent of schools. 

Upon the receipt of the recommendation from the business man¬ 
ager, accompanied by a requisition and the proposals and abstract, 
the purchasing office reviews all documents and recommends an 
award to the commissioners after the District auditor’s office has 
approved the purchase as to legality and availability of funds. Upon 
the making of the final award by the commissioners in board session, 
a formal contract with the successful bidder is prepared and exe¬ 
cuted. The documents used in connection with the receipt of the 
materials and the payments to the contractor are the same under 
this method of purchasing as for the purchases made from the Gen¬ 
eral Supplv Committee schedule described above. 

In cases where a proposed purchase of special school supplies or 
equipment involves an expenditure of less than $1,000, the office of 
the business manager prepares a request for prices on the purchasing 
office, specifying the materials desired. The purchasing office then 
sends out invitations for bids to three or more supply houses. Upon 
the receipt of the bids they are abstracted upon the price request 
form, which is returned to the office of the business manager for 
recommendation as to award. The business manager reviews the 
bids and decides upon the one whose acceptance he will recommend, 
advising with the educational officers where necessary. He then pre¬ 
pares a memorandum of recommendation, which is forwarded to the 
purchasing office with a requisition and the price request form. All 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 145 

documents are reviewed by the purchasing office, which prepares a 
purchase order on the successful bidder after the District auditor’s 
office has approved the purchase as to legality and availability of 
funds. The documents used in connection with the receipt of the 
materials and the payments to the contractor are the same under 
this method of purchasing as under the other two methods described 
above. 

Distribution. 

All textbooks and school supplies in common use throughout the 
system are delivered to the public-school storehouse located in an old 
elementary school building at 429 O Street NW. They are dis¬ 
tributed from here to the schools in leased motor trucks on the basis 
of requisitions prepared by the principals and approved by the 
supervising principals or directors of departments and the business 
manager. Schoolroom furniture and equipment are delivered direct 
to the school buildings, as are also special laboratory and shop supplies 
and equipment and bulky custodial supplies. 

Inspection. 

Supplies and equipment delivered to the storehouse are inspected 
by the storekeeper or one of his assistants. In the case of any doubt 
as to whether a particular item meets with specifications, the store¬ 
keeper requests the advice of the director of the department involved, 
such as kindergarten, domestic science, manual training, etc. 

Schoolroom furniture and equipment delivered direct to school 
buildings in large quantities, such as the initial installation for a new 
building, are inspected by a committee whose members are par¬ 
ticularly qualified to make such inspections, composed of the director 
of the department of manual training as chairman, and several of 
his assistants. Responsibility for the inspection of occasional small 
direct deliveries of replacement furniture and equipment and of 
special materials, such as laboratory supplies, rests with the school 
principals. The principals are also charged with the inspection of 
major items of equipment and their installation, such as cafeteria, 
gymnasium, and stage equipment, which do not form a part of 
building construction. 

Recommendations. 

The present plan of recommending awards in connection with the 
procurement of supplies and equipment not included in the General 
Supply Committee schedule results in duplication of effort. It in¬ 
volves a thorough independent consideration of the various proposals 
submitted on any proposed purchase by two separate offices, namely, 
the office of the business manager of the school system and the 
District purchasing office. This objection may be overcome by 
establishing a board of award for school supplies and equipment, 
consisting of not less than three nor more than five members ap¬ 
pointed by the commissioners, composed of representatives of the 
District purchasing office and of the school system, one of whom shall 
be the business manager. It would be the duty of the board to 
consider fully all bids received on any proposed purchase and to rec¬ 
ommend an award to the purchasing officer. The board would, of 
course, summon to its meetings such advisors as may be needed to 
test samples, inspect performance, or pass upon technical features of 
the articles to be purchased. 


146 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Attention is invited to the fact that the District Commissioners 
and school officials already have this recommendation under con¬ 
sideration in connection with a report submitted by the Bureau of 
Efficiency on the purchasing methods of the District of Columbia. 

No entirely satisfactory system of storage and distribution of sup¬ 
plies and equipment can be made effective for the public schools until 
adequate storage space is provided. The present public-school store¬ 
house at 429 O Street NW., is a converted elementary school building, 
but notwithstanding the extensive alterations that have been made, 
it is poorly suited for the purpose. In the first place, the building 
does not contain sufficient floor space to meet the present needs. 
The abandoned Hamilton elementary school building on Bladens- 
burg Road is now used as an auxiliary storehouse, and the basement 
of the administration building, the old Franklin School on Thirteenth 
and K Streets NW., is frequently used for storage purposes. Sec¬ 
ondly, the O Street storehouse is poorly arranged for storage purposes, 
for it has been impossible to remove the walls dividing the former 
classrooms, since they form the only support for the floors. The 
floors above the ground will carry only a comparatively small load, 
while certain portions of the floors where the support is particularly 
weak can not be used at all. Moreover, the two entrances to the 
building and the corridor on the ground floor are so arranged as to 
make expeditious receiving and shipping of supplies impossible. 
In the third place, the storehouse is located off the railroad, making 
double handling and double truckage of supplies necessary. 

The Bureau of Efficiency has brought to the attention of the offi¬ 
cials of the Federal Government charged with the planning of public 
buildings the great need for a general Government warehouse in the 
District of Columbia located on a railroad siding, which will serve 
all establishments of the Federal and District Governments for the 
receipt, inspection, storage, and distribution of supplies. A tract of 
land owned by the United States Government with suitable rail con¬ 
nections, which will make an ideal site for such a warehouse, has 
been located, and it is expected that definite plans for the building 
will be presented to the Seventieth Congress. Adequate space for 
the receipt, inspection, storage, and distribution of public-school sup¬ 
plies and equipment should be provided in such a warehouse. 

With regard to the use of leased motor trucks by the school system 
for hauling purposes, the Bureau of Efficiency contemplates making 
a vehicular equipment survey for the entire government of the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia, which will cover the needs of all its branches, in¬ 
cluding the public schools. Such a survey will determine which of 
the three possible methods of hauling school supplies and equip¬ 
ment is the most efficient and economical, namely, (1) the leasing of 
motor trucks, as at present, (2) the ownership by the school system 
of its own trucks used exclusively for school purposes, or (3) the use 
by the schools of trucks supplied as needed by a general service sta¬ 
tion operated by the District Commissioners for the entire District 
government. 

The inspection of supplies and equipment can not be placed on an 
entirely satisfactory basis, while the present storehouse conditions 
continue to exist. Adequate facilities for receipt and storage would 
reduce to a minimum deliveries made direct to the schools, thus per¬ 
mitting of centralized and uniform inspection. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 147 

In the matter of inspection of furniture and equipment it is be¬ 
lieved that the responsibility for such inspection should be lodged 
with the proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge of 
buildings and grounds. At present the inspection of schoolroom 
furniture and equipment is made by a committee of qualified educa¬ 
tional officers of the manual training department, while special equip¬ 
ment, such as cafeteria and stage equipment, which often involves 
structural work in its installation, is inspected by the school prin¬ 
cipals. The schoolroom furniture and equipment committee is per¬ 
forming satisfactory service in this respect, but the time its members 
devote to this work is taken away from their important educational 
duties. On the other hand, the inspection by school principals of 
special equipment and its installation is generally not satisfactory, 
for only in exceptional cases is a principal qualified to pass upon such 
items. Then, too, when the complete special equipment of a large 
high-school building is involved, the time required for its inspection 
is so great as to cause the principal’s regular work to suffer. The 
personnel of the proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge 
of buildings and grounds should conduct these inspections as a part 
of its regular duties. 

Fiscal accounting. 

The system of fiscal accounts in use in the public-school system is 
similar to the one maintained by the office of the auditor of the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia. It provides for the recording of the various fiscal 
transactions by appropriations and permits of the determination 
currently of the unencumbered and unexpended balances of appro¬ 
priations, as well as the unencumbered balances of allotments. 

The system is generally satisfactoiy from the standpoint of supply¬ 
ing the necessary information to administer intelligently the several 
school funds, but it is believed that it can be considerably improved 
by the introduction of more modern accounting forms and procedure 
which have been successfully installed in various Federal offices during 
the last few’ years with the approval of the Comptroller General 
of the United States. How'ever, no recommendation for a change 
is made at this time, since the Bureau of Efficiency has in contempla¬ 
tion a study of the fiscal accounting methods of the entire District 
government, the report on which will cover all District accounting 
offices, including the office of the business manager of the school 
system. 

It should be noted that the improved system of accounts referred 
to above provides for a detailed classification by objects of expendi¬ 
tures, and that it adapts itself to the accrual method of accounting 
wffiich is recommended by many school accountants. 

Property accounting. 

The public-school system maintains no property accounts. No 
personal accountability has been established for the schoolhouse 
equipment valued at approximately twm and a half million dollars 
(replacement value), wffiich is found scatlered throughout the city 
among 168 buildings. 

This equipment consists of such items as desks, chairs, tables, 
cabinets, typewriters, office appliances, sewung machines, electric 
irons, dishes, tablew’are, kitchen utensils, machine tools, hand tools, 
musical instruments, gymnasium apparatus, etc. Neither are any 


148 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL, SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


stock records maintained for materials delivered to and issued from 
the storehouse, which approximate $250,000 in value annually. 
Some of the principals of the schools, it is true, have voluntarily 
established for their own information and guidance records covering 
the property located in the buildings under their charge. However, 
these records lack uniformity, being kept in many instances on sheets 
of composition paper ruled in such a manner as to meet the ideas of 
the individuals keeping them as to what a satisfactory property ac¬ 
counting form should be. As far as the property accountability 
records of the office of the business manager are concerned, they 
terminate with the certification on the invoices by the storekeeper, 
or the school principal in the case of direct deliveries, that the mate¬ 
rial has been received and that it meets with specifications. The 
business manager’s office, it might be mentioned, receives copies of 
invoices listing property transferred from one building to another 
and of condemnation reports, but these are simply placed in the files. 
Apparently these forms are survivals of a property accounting system 
of an earlier day. 

It is our opinion that the school system should be criticized for its 
failure to maintain adequate property accountability records. 
Although nothing has come to our attention which would indicate 
any irregularities in connection with the receipt and distribution of 
supplies and equipment, still the absence of a property accounting 
control breeds carelessness and invites leakage. It is just as impor¬ 
tant in our opinion to account for property as it is to account for cash. 

It is recommended, therefore, that a property accounting system 
be introduced in the school system providing for the following records: 

1. Perpetual inventory record of all materials carried in the storehouse, to be 
maintained at the storehouse. 

2 . Nonexpendable property records showing for each school the property of a 
semipermanent nature for which the school principal is held accountable, to be 
maintained by the office of the business manager. 

3. Lists of nonexpendable and expendable property to be maintained by the 
schools, showing for each school the items of property on hand at the beginning 
of the school year, the receipts during the year, the issues during the year, and 
the items on hand at the close of the year. 

4. Plant record to be maintained by the business manager’s office, showing 
for each school building, the year built, the type of construction, the number of 
stories, the cubage, the cost of the site, the cost of building construction, the 
type of heating plant, the type of ventilating system, the fire protective apparatus, 
the toilet facilities, the number of regular classrooms and their size, the special 
rooms, such as auditoriums, gymnasiums, laboratories, shops, playrooms, etc., 
and their size, and other rooms, such as offices, storerooms, lunch rooms, etc., 
and their size. To this record should be attached a drawing of the site indicating 
the size of the site, the location of the building upon it, the size of the building, 
and the portion of the site given over to playgrounds and to lawns. 

The records outlined above will not only establish property account¬ 
ability, but will also provide considerable information in regard to 
the school plant and equipment which is essential to the effective 
administration of the school system. At the present time, when any 
such information is required, a request is made upon the various 
educational officers in the’field concerned to supply it immediately. 

Two additional clerks, one grade 5 clerk and one grade 2 clerk, 
will be required in the office of the business manager to handle the 
property accounting work outlined above. The duties of the grade 5 
clerk will be to establish the records in the business manager’s office, 
in the storehouse, and in the schools, to maintain the plant record 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 149 

and the record of nonexpendable property in the business manager’s 
office, to audit occasionally the property accounts of the storehouse 
and of the schools, and to supervise generally the entire system of 
property accounting under the general direction of the business 
manager. The grade 2 clerk will keep the property accounts at the 
storehouse. 

The data necessary to establish the plant record has for the most 
part been gathered by representatives of the Bureau of Efficiency, 
for it was found necessary in order to procure any reliable informa¬ 
tion regarding the school buildings and their facilities to visit them 
personally, since in no office in the school system nor in the District 
government was a complete current record to be found. Drawings 
of the school sites are now being prepared by the office of the municipal 
architect. 

Accounting for School and Activity Funds. 

N umerous funds are maintained throughout the school system in con¬ 
nection with its various activities, such as community-center funds, 
lunch-room funds, laboratory funds, athletic funds, etc. The manner 
of controlling and accounting for such funds is left entirely to the 
schools or activities which maintain them. The only requirement 
of the central office is that an annual report for each fund shall be 
submitted to the business manager, showing the balance in the fund 
at the beginning of the year, the receipts and expenditures during the 
year and the balance at the close of the year. This statement is 
certified to by the custodian of the fund, and by the committee 
which has been designated by the head of the school or activity 
concerned to audit the transactions in the fund. 

It is our opinion that the office of the business manager should be 
charged with establishing the methods of accounting for the various 
school and activity funds and with making an examination of the 
transactions therein in sufficient detail to satisfy himself that all 
moneys received have been accounted for, that all expenditures have 
been regularly made, and that the balance in any fund is actually 
on hand or on deposit. 

Savings banks are also conducted by several of the high schools as 
a part of the course in business practice and for the encouragement of 
thrift among the students. These banks are likewise used as de¬ 
positaries for the several school funds. Supervision over the opera¬ 
tions of the banks rests with the principals of the schools. The head 
of the department of business practice acts in an advisory capacity 
to the several principals in this connection, and appoints committees 
to audit the transactions of the banks. Copies of the audit reports 
are forwarded to the first assistant superintendent of schools, and 
are included in the annual report of the head of the department of 
business practice to the superintendent of schools. 

It is believed that the operation of the school banks will he more 
effective^ controlled by placing them under the supervision of a 
board of three members, with the head of the department of business 
practice as chairman, appointed by the superintendent of schools. 
It will be the duty of the board to determine the methods of conduct¬ 
ing the business of the banks, to supervise their operations generally, 
and to appoint audit committees for the examination of their affairs. 
Copies of all audit reports will be submitted to the superintendent of 
schools. 


150 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The appointment of the officers of the banks will, as heretofore, be 
made by the administrative heads of the respective schools. 

Repair and Alteration of Buildings. 

The situation in regard to the repair and alteration of school 
buildings is described in Part II of the report in connection with the 
recommendation for the creation of the office of assistant superin¬ 
tendent in charge of buildings and grounds. However, in order to 
make this section of the report on business management complete, 
the discussion relating to the proposed office is repeated here. 

The responsibility for the repair and alteration of school buildings 
is at present divided between the school officials and the municipal 
architect. The Board of Education determines the repair program, 
and the municipal architect is charged with its execution. Ordinary 
repairs and minor alterations are made by the District repair shop, a 
branch of the municipal architect’s office, which maintains an average 
force of approximately 200 skilled tradesmen and laborers. In the 
case of major alterations, such as the installation of new heating 
plants or the installation of complete new toilet facilities, plans are 
prepared by the office of the municipal architect in consultation with 
the school officials and contracts are let by the commissioners, in the 
same manner as with new building construction. 

Under this plan of handling repairs to buildings, the requests for 
particular items originate for the most part with the principals in 
charge of the various school buildings. Such requests are approved 
by the supervisory educational officers concerned and finally by the 
business manager. These approvals are merely a matter of office 
routine. They do not in any sense constitute a real determination 
of needs, for they are not based upon an actual inspection of the 
facilities involved, except in occasional instances, and moreover 
the approving officers are not technically qualified to pass upon such 
matters nor do they receive advice from anyone so qualified. On 
the other hand, the operations of the repair shop extend only to the 
supervision of the work ordered to be performed by the school 
authorities, and do not, except for the heating plants, include inspec¬ 
tion for the purpose of determining repair needs. An unsystematic 
and haphazard program of building repairs and alterations naturally 
results from such methods. (See Part VII.) 

It is believed that this condition should be remedied by trans¬ 
ferring to the school authorities the responsibility for the execution 
of the work relating to repairs and alterations of buildings. The 
direct supervision of this work should be placed in charge of a quali¬ 
fied mechanical engineer or architect of proved administrative ability, 
who would rank as an assistant superintendent of schools, coordinate 
with the business manager, to be known as the assistant superintend¬ 
ent in charge of buildings and grounds. Supervision over the custo¬ 
dial and engineering forces of the school system, and the work of 
repair and replacement of furniture and equipment should also be 
assigned to the proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge 
of buildings and grounds. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 151 

Under such a plan of organization, all the activities of the school 
system relating to the operation and maintenance of buildings, 
grounds, and equipment, would be centralized in one technically 
qualified, responsible school official, who would be in a position to 
use his combined forces in such a manner as to provide for more 
economical operation and systematic maintenance. Moreover, the 
assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and grounds would 
act as the technical advisor to the superintendent of schools and the 
Board of Education in all matters coming within his field of activity, 
and as the coordinator between (he office of the municipal architect 
and the school system. 

Repair and replacement of furniture and equipment. 

The office of the business manager now has charge over the repair 
and replacement of furniture and equipment. One cabinetmaker 
is employed on general furniture repairs, a small cabinet shop being 
maintained in the basement of the Franklin Building for this purpose. 
It is planned to expand this activity, however, in view of the large 
amount of furniture in need of resurfacing and repair. 

The program of furniture replacement has not been definitely 
worked out, since no systematic survey of the condition of the fur¬ 
niture in use has been made. However, a considerable number of the 
pupils’ desks and chairs in use in the elementary schools should be 
replaced immediately on account of wear and tear and obsolescence. 

The supervision over the repair and replacement of furniture and 
equipment should, in our opinion, be transferred to the proposed 
office of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and grounds, 
in order that all activities relating to the physical school plant may 
be centralized under one official. 

SUMMARY 

The recommendations relating to the office of the business manager 
are summarized as follows: 

(1) A board of award for school supplies and equipment should 
be appointed, consisting of not less than three nor more than five 
members, composed of representatives of the District purchasing 
office and of the school system, one of whom shall be the business 
manager. 

(2) Adequate space for the receipt, inspection, storage, and dis¬ 
tribution of public-school supplies and equipment should be provided 
in the proposed Government warehouse. 

(3) The inspection of special schoolhouse equipment (other than 
building construction items) should be transferred to the proposed 
office of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and grounds. 

(4) A system of property accountability should be established in 
the public-school system. 

(5) The office of the business manager should be charged with 
establishing the methods of accounting for the various school and 
activity funds and with making an examination of the transactions 


152 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


therein in sufficient detail to satisfy himself that all moneys received 
have been accounted for, that all expenditures have been regularly 
made, and that the balance in any fund is actually on hand or on 
deposit. (This recommendation does not apply to the school savings 
banks.) 

(6) The responsibility for all work relating to the repair and alter¬ 
ation of school buildings should be transferred to the proposed office 
of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and grounds. 

(7) The responsibility for all work relating to the repair and re¬ 
placement of furniture and equipment should be transferred to the 
proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and 
grounds. 


PART VI 


CUSTODY OF BUILDINGS 


The superintendent of janitors, under the general direction of the 
superintendent of schools, is responsible for the protection, cleaning, 
heating, and ventilating of all public-school buildings in the District 
of Columbia and for the care and cleaning of school grounds. He is 
also charged with the inspection of the buildings with respect to their 
sanitary condition and the operation of their heating and ventilating 
equipment, and with the moving of furniture and other school equip¬ 
ment. He personally supervises the selection, assignment, and in¬ 
struction of all employees of the custodial force and through his 
assistants supervises their work. Recommendations for personnel 
changes in his force, including appointments, transfers, promotions, 
demotions, and terminations are submitted by the superintendent of 
janitors to the Board of Education through the assistant superin¬ 
tendents and the superintendent of schools. 

The superintendent of janitors has two assistants, one for the white 
and one for the colored schools. The superintendent and his assist¬ 
ants make their headquarters at the Franklin School, where they 
have an office and the services of a part-time clerk. The personnel of 
the custodial force consists of 482 regular employees of various grades 
and classes, including steam engineers, janitors, firemen, coal passers, 
electricians, laborers, matrons, watchmen, and gardeners. In addi¬ 
tion there are 21 caretakers who are employed part time to clean and 
heat special rooms and portable buildings. On the regular force 
there are 31 employees who receive in addition to their annual salary 
extra compensation for the care of special rooms and portables. 

“Rule of Thumb” is the only term that fitly describes the present 
management of the custodial department of the Washington public- 
school system. While the other departments have on the whole 
kept pace with modern advances in the fields of organization and 
management, the custodial department has lagged far behind in this 
respect. It is operating the physical plant, composed of 1G8 buildings 
representing an investment of approximately 830,000,000 (replace¬ 
ment value) and requiring the services of 482 full-time employees, 
in a manner that one might expect to find in an organization for a 
single building, where the details of the custodial work would come 
under the close personal supervision of the man in charge. 

The various divisions into which the work ol the custodial depart¬ 
ment logically falls will be described briefly below, and under each 

153 



154 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


division the shortcomings of the present management will be indi¬ 
cated. The divisions are as follows: 

1. Selection of personnel. 

Instruction of personnel. 

3. Inspection. 

4. Assignment of personnel. 

5. Performance, supply, and equipment standards. 

6. Repairs to equipment. 

7. Records and reports. 

1. Selection of Personnel. 

Employees of the custodial force are selected by the superintendent 
of janitors largely upon the basis of the impression made upon him 
by applicants for positions during his interviews with them. Although 
each person seeking a position on the force is required to prepare an 
application supplying, among other things, the names of former 
employers and the terms of service with each, as well as the names of 
several character references, and vouchers of two former employers, 
the superintendent of janitors only occasionally communicates with 
the references, and then usually by telephone. In his selection of 
employees he relies almost altogether upon what he considers his 
ability to size up a man’s qualifications and character during a short 
interview. 

As far as the qualifications of an employee for particular work are 
concerned it is believed that the method of selection outlined above 
would not be subject to serious objection in the case of low-grade 
janitorial positions if the employees were carefully instructed in their 
duties and the work was closely observed for a reasonable period of 
time after their employment. But such is not the case, as will be 
pointed out in the subsequent sections of the report on instruction 
and inspection. However, with respect to supervisory janitors and 
steam engineers for plants that require licensed operators, it is our 
opinion that a man’s qualifications should be carefully and thoroughly 
investigated before he is trusted with the responsibility inherent in 
these positions. The supervisory janitorial positions are usually 
filled by promotion, so that there should be no question as to a man’s 
qualifications when he is assigned to such a position. However, the 
failure of the superintendent of janitors and his assistants to make 
systematic and adequate inspections raises a doubt as to whether the 
men on the force best qualified for and deserving of such positions 
are usually assigned to them. As to the steam engineers for plants 
other than those having gravity return, it is required by the by-laws 
and rules of the Board of Education that these employees “must hold 
the license required by the Commissioners of the District of Colum¬ 
bia.” A man’s qualifications for this work, therefore, are determined 
by his ability to pass the tests given by the board of examiners of 
steam engineers in accordance with the provisions of the act regulating 
steam engineering in the District of Columbia. 1 Licenses are issued 
to persons passing the tests, and, except for the operation of boilers 
with gravity returns, it is unlawful for any person to act as a steam 


1 Act approved Feb. 28, 1887, as amended Mar. 4, 1925. 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 155 

or other operating engineer in the District of Columbia who has not 
been regularly licensed. 2 The law also provides that: 

Any owner or lessee of any engine or steam boiler or the secretary of any 
corporation, who shall employ a steam or other operating engineer as such who 
has not been regularly licensed to act as such or any person operating without a 
license or in violation of the provisions of this act shall on conviction thereof by 
the police court of the District of Columbia, be fined $40 * * *. 

Notwithstanding the provisions of the law regulating steam 
engineering in the District of Columbia, the requirements of the 
commissioners, and the rule of the Board of Education, we find that a 
number of the steam engineers of the school system do not hold the 
class of license required by the board of examiners of steam engineers 
for the equipment under their charge. Two such engineers hold no 
District of Columbia license, both having failed to qualify in their 
examinations before the board of examiners of steam engineers. In 
fact, one of them, has failed to qualify on three occasions. Neverthe¬ 
less, he continues to act as a regular shift engineer at one of the large 
senior high schools having a plant of 750 horsepower capacity, which 
under the commissioners’ requirements should be^operated only by 
a first-class steam engineer. 

2. Instruction of Person"oj. 

The instruction given employees of the custodial force in their work 
by the superintendent of janitors and his assistants is negligible. 
This statement is based upon the reports of our investigators and 
engineers who visited all school buildings and observed the custodial 
employees at work. The absence of instruction is particularly notice¬ 
able in connection with the operation of the heating and ventilating 
equipment. Many cases of improper firing were noted, and there was a 
general complaint upon the part of the operators of hand-fired furnaces 
regarding the coal furnished by the Government fuel yards. This is a 
high-grade but low-cost fuel, and with proper instruction, the fire¬ 
men should experience no difficulty in its use. The frequent and 
costly repairs made to heating equipment by the District repair 
shop in order to keep the plants in satisfactory operating condition 
are also an indication of unintelligent operation. As far as ventilat¬ 
ing equipment is concerned, many janitors showed a woeful ignorance 
of the system under their charge. The various parts of the system 
and the functions of each had never been explained to them, nor were 
they instructed in its method of operation. (See secs. E and F of the 
Report of a Survey of the Heating and Ventilating Systems of the 
District Public Schools, conducted under the direction of the United 
States Bureau of Mines, Appendix C.) 

Employees are assigned to buildings by the superintendent of 
janitors with only general instructions as to the performance of their 
duties. Several instances came to our attention where employees 
new to the system were handed the keys to their respective buildings, 
which they were simply told to clean daily. This means that an 
employee assigned to a building which is allotted but one custodial 
position is practically thrown upon his own resources. If he is new 

* The commissioners’ requirements provide that a steam engineer holding a first-class license may operate 
a plant of any horsepower; one holding a second-class license may operate a plant whose horsepower does 
not exceed 75; and one holding a third-class license may operate a plant whose horsepower does not exceed 
25 . 


88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-11 





156 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

to the school system he must work out his own salvation, while if he 
has been transferred from a larger building he may or may not have 
absorbed some knowledge as to how most effectively to keep his build¬ 
ing in a sanitary condition and how properly to operate his heating 
plant. In the latter case the value of the instruction received will 
depend altogether upon the individual efficiency of the janitor 
under whom he worked. In other words, in the matter of the 
custodial work of the schools, each building is practically a unit 
unto itself. It is good or bad according to the standards of the 
janitor in charge and the principal of the school. 

The uniformity of economical custodial service which should exist 
in a large school system is lacking in the Washington schools on 
account of the failure of the superintendent of janitors to provide 
adequate instruction and inspection and to establish performance, 
supply, and equipment standards. He contents himself apparently 
with calling a semiannual meeting of all custodial employees and 
reading to them a statement of their duties, with no suggestions as to 
the manner of performance, and relying upon the principals and the 
health officers to bring to his attention any deficiencies in execution. 
If no complaints regarding a building are received he concludes that 
the work is being satisfactorily performed, whereas under this 
negative plan of supervision fuel is being wasted, heating plants and 
other equipment are being abused, and the most effective use is not 
being made of labor, supplies, and equipment. 

In this connection, it should be noted that although under the by¬ 
laws and rules of the Board of Education the janitor has charge of his 
building under the direction of the principal, the latter is line authority 
only and can extend solely to the general cleanliness of the building 
and to the supply of sufficient heat and ventilation. The economical 
use of the time of custodial employees, the economical use of fuel and 
supplies, and the proper care of the heating, ventilating and other 
building equipment are all staff matters which must be supervised 
intensively by a qualified custodial management. 

3. Inspection. 

The superintendent of janitors and his two assistants are charged 
with the duty of inspecting the school buildings with respect to their 
sanitary condition and the operation of their heating and ventilating 
equipment. 

The reports of our investigators and engineers indicate that the 
custodial management has been lax in the performance of this im¬ 
portant duty. No definite program of inspection for the system as a 
whole has been established. With reference to the inspections made 
by the superintendent of janitors himself, it appears that his visits to 
school buildings are made largely in connection with answering com¬ 
plaints of principals and janitors and investigating conditions reported 
by the health officers. He makes no record of the buildings he has 
visited, nor of the conditions he finds. Moreover, the inspections of 
the assistant superintendent of janitors for the white schools are also 
made largely on this basis of negative supervision. He plans no 
inspection schedule, he keeps no record of the buildings he has visited, 
he makes no memoranda of his findings, nor does he prepare any 
reports. The assistant superintendent of janitors for the colored 
schools, on the other hand, has made an attempt to inspect his schools 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 157 

systematically and visit them at regular intervals. But he prepares 
no reports for the information of the superintendent of janitors or 
of the principals. 

However, the failure of the custodial management to instruct its 
employees in the performance of their duties and to check them as to 
the economical use of fuel and the proper care of buildings and equip¬ 
ment has resulted in making the present inspection at best solely a 
determination as to whether or not a building is on the whole in a 
sanitary condition and is adequately heated. As a matter of fact, 
the principals are required to satisfy themselves that the custodial 
employees accomplish these results from day to day. But the prin¬ 
cipals are not concerned with the manner of their accomplishment 
nor with the cost involved. These are matters which come under the 
jurisdiction of the custodial management, and they can be con¬ 
trolled only by adequate instruction of the employees in their work 
and detailed inspection of its manner of performance. 

With respect to cleanliness, varying standards were found through¬ 
out the system. A number of instances of poor house cleaning were 
noted but not as many as might have been expected in view of the 
reports that had come to our attention regarding unsanitary con¬ 
ditions in the schools. It can only be concluded that the improved 
condition of the school buildings found by our representatives was 
due to two factors, as follows: 

The first factor was the clarification by the superintendent of the 
schools at about the time the survey began of the relationship between 
the principals and the custodial employees of their buildings. He 
made it clear that the principals were responsible for the cleanliness 
and sanitary condition of their buildings and that locally the custodial 
employees were under their direction. Prior to that announcement, 
the lines of authority had not been clearly defined, and many cus¬ 
todial employees believed that they were under the sole direction of 
the superintendent of janitors. The principals, moreover, were not 
altogether certain of their authority in this connection, and in many 
instances they hesitated to issue instructions to custodial employees. 

The second factor was the visits of our investigators and engineers 
to the buildings throughout the system. As soon as the survey got 
under way, word was passed among the employees that the program 
included the inspection of all buildings. Naturally there was a ten¬ 
dency to be “on dress parade.” This in itself is the best argument 
that can be advanced for thorough inspections by qualified employees. 

4. Assignment of Personnel. 

A careful examination of the assignments of custodial employees 
in relation to plant facihties indicates that the personnel for the 
various buildings has not been determined upon the basis of a thor¬ 
ough analysis of the needs. 

The personnel required for a particular building, with the excep¬ 
tion of the small eight-room buildings which are cared for by a single 
employee, is dependent upon the size and physical condition of the 
building, grounds, and mechanical equipment, and upon any peculiar 
features in connection with the plant which make for difficulty of 
performance of the janitorial work. Time did not permit of a de¬ 
tailed study of these factors as applied to each building, but in view 
of the marked inconsistencies noted in the assignment of personnel 


158 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

and of the observations made of the work of the custodial forces in 
the large buildings, it can safely be said that building forces do not 
in many instances represent actual needs. Some buildings are over¬ 
manned, while others are undermanned. The real needs for a 
building can only be determined after a careful analysis of the various 
tasks to be performed and the establishment of methods and standards 
of performance. Such determinations have not been made by the 
custodial management. 

The inconsistencies in the present assignments of custodial per¬ 
sonnel may be illustrated by the assignments of assistant engineers 
and laborers in the high schools. The following senior highs each have 
two assistant engineers: Central, Eastern, Western, and Armstrong. 
McKinley and Dunbar have one each, and Business has none. It 
seems unreasonable that Western should have two assistant engineers 
and Business none, in view of the fact that both plants have approxi¬ 
mately the same boiler capacity, and there is little difference in the 
size of the two buildings. Dunbar and McKinley, on the other 
hand, which have double the boiler capacity of Western, are assigned 
only one assistant engineer. Randall, Stuart, Francis, and Shaw 
Junior High Schools each have one assistant engineer, and Columbia, 
Macfarland, Hine, and Langley have none. The Shaw Junior High 
School is the only junior high school which has a plant comparing 
favorably in size with those of the smaller senior high schools. 

Armstrong, Dunbar, McKinley, and Western High Schools have 
approximately the same number of classrooms, but the labor forces 
in these buildings vary from four to nine emplo 3 7 ees. It follows, 
therefore, that laborers in certain buildings are required to perform 
more work than laborers in other buildings. In fact, the number of 
rooms cared for daily by individual laborers varies from 8 in one in¬ 
stance to 23 in another. Another evidence of improper assignment 
of laborers is indicated by a comparison of the forces in junior high 
schools with those in senior high schools. Stuart and Francis Junior 
High Schools each have four laborers, which is the same number as¬ 
signed to Business and McKinley Senior High Schools, which have 
double the number of rooms. 

5. Performance, Supply, and Equipment Standards. 

No studies have been made by the custodial management toward 
the end of establishing performance, supply, or equipment standards. 
Many of the tasks performed by the janitors and laborers are meas¬ 
urable, and they occur with regularity. It is, therefore, possible to 
determine what constitutes a fair day’s work for these tasks to be 
used as a basis for establishing individual performance requirements 
and total personnel needs. Attention is invited to the fact that in 
several other big city systems studies of this nature have resulted in 
the adoption of a plan of cleaning large buildings which is less costly 
than the one in effect in Washington. In Washington laborers -are 
employed on a salary basis and work around the buildings during 
the entire school day. It is frequently difficult for them to perform 
their work expeditiously on account of class sessions, and practically 
all interior cleaning must be postponed until the end of the school 
day when it is hurriedly performed in order to assure a reasonable 
quitting time. Under the other plan the janitor in charge and one 
or two laborers are on hand during the school day and the other 
laborers, who are employed on an hourly basis, report after school 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 159 

hours when their work can be performed without interruption. This 
does not apply, of course, to the engineering and firing personnel. 

The custodial management does not conduct experiments with 
various makes and styles of supplies and equipment for the purpose 
of determining the most serviceable materials for its needs, as is done 
by the more progressive school custodial departments. It has estab¬ 
lished annual supply quotas representing the quantities of the various 
items of supplies considered adequate for one year. These quotas 
have not been accurately determined, however, for in many cases 
the quantities allowed are in excess of actual needs, while in other 
cases they are not sufficient. For example, one dust brush is allowed 
for each custodial employee, including engineers and firemen, who- 
seldom perform any cleaning work. Two corn brooms and 1 gallon 
of disinfectant are allowed each building regardless of size. Fifty 
gallons of floor oil, 50 gallons of kerosene, 1 gallon of turpentine, and 
1 gallon of linseed oil are allowed each building regardless of size with 
a few exceptions in the cases of the largest buildings. 

As far as the mechanical equipment of the school buildings is 
concerned, the engineers of the office of the municipal architect 
determine the types to be installed in the new buildings. But the 
coordination between the designers of the equipment and the operat¬ 
ing personnel of the buildings, which is essential to the adoption of 
the best types of equipment, is lacking. This is well illustrated by 
the manner in which the central vacuum-cleaning equipment of the 
Eastern High School has been handled. Central vacuum cleaning 
systems have been adopted as standard equipment for all new 
buildings by many school boards during the last few years as a result 
of the improvement of mechanical cleaning over hand methods. 
When the plans for Eastern High School were prepared in 1921, 
the municipal architect provided for a central vacuum-cleaning 
system, which was installed at a cost of $5,300. The equipment is 
not now being used. It appears that the custodial force at the 
Eastern High School after using the equipment for a short time 
decided that they did not like it. They preferred to clean by hand, 
so they gathered all the equipment together and stored it away in 
the basement of the building. As far as can be learned the custodial 
management made no investigation to determine whether or not 
any real objection to the vacuum system existed. Notwithstanding 
this experience at Eastern High School, a central vacuum-cleaning 
system is being installed in the new McKinley High School at a cost 
of $17,034. 

6. Repairs to Equipment. 

The janitors as a rule perform minor repair work on furniture and 
other building equipment, such as lockers, window shades, and 
plumbing fixtures. However, it is believed that a careful survey of 
the repair work on school buildings and equipment will indicate a 
number of minor jobs not generally handled by the janitors at present, 
which they could perform if given the proper instruction and the 
necessary emergency tool kit and supplies. 

The licensed steam engineers of the school system generally handle 
little of the repair work required to be done on the heating and 
ventilating systems under their charge. In many cases the District 
repair shoD is called unon to make the simplest of such repairs, neces- 


160 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


sarily at a comparatively high cost, since the repairman spends as 
much, if not more, time in going to and from the job as he does in 
performing the work. The licensed engineers should be qualified to 
handle the ordinary repairs to their equipment, and they should, in 
our opinion, be supplied with the necessary tools and a stock of 
emergency supplies to make this possible. 

7. Records and Reports. 

At the time the school survey was begun the records of the office 
of superintendent of janitors consisted of the following: A card record 
of custodial employees arranged alphabetically, showing for each 
employee his name, position, school assignment, home address and 
telephone number, and family status; a file of application blanks, 
arranged by classes of positions; a copy of the custodial pay roll, 
arranged as to schools for the high schools and as to divisions for the 
elementary schools; a copy of all orders of the Board of Education, 
arranged chronologically, showing personnel changes in the custodial 
service; and a file of copies of requisitions for the moving, transfer¬ 
ring, and setting of furniture. 

The following essential records were lacking: A record showing 
the custodial employees assigned to each elementary school, the 
boiler capacity in horsepower of the various heating plants, the 
high and low pressure plants and their equipment, the licensed engi¬ 
neers and the class of license held by each, the class of license required 
for the operation of particular plants, the number of rooms in each 
building, and the number of rooms or portables assigned to caretakers. 

A record has recently been established in the office of the superin¬ 
tendent of janitors showing the assignments of custodial employees 
under elementary school buildings. A list has also been prepared, at 
the request of the boiler inspector of the District of Columbia, show¬ 
ing the type of heating plant in each building and its boiler equip¬ 
ment. Another list was prepared recently at the request of the 
Personnel Classification Board, showing for each custodial employee, 
his school assignment, the class of license he holds, if any, his salary 
grade, and the number of rooms in the building to which he is 
assigned. 

No regular reports are made by the custodial management. 

It is apparent, therefore, that the superintendent of janitors and 
his assistants rely almost entirely on their memories for the informa¬ 
tion necessary to administer the custodial department of a school 
system involving the care of 168 buildings and the supervision of 482 
full-time employees. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

The above analysis indicates clearly that the present custodial 
management has failed to measure up to its responsibilities in every 
one of its major functions. In large measure the superintendent of 
janitors must shoulder the blame for this state of affairs. But the 
school officials are not entirely blameless in the matter, since they 
have made no serious attempt to reform the present management, 
although undoubtedly they are familiar with its shortcomings. It 
is evident that the superintendent of schools and his assistants have 
been satisfied with much less than might reasonably have been 
expected from the custodial managment. Why should not the same 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 161 

high standards of performance which are demanded of the other 
departments of the service be required of the custodial department? 

It is our opinion, as pointed out in Part II of the report, that the 
direction of all activities of the school system relating to the opera¬ 
tion and maintenance of buildings, grounds, and equipment should be 
placed in charge of a qualified mechanical engineer or architect of 
proved administrative ability, who would rank as an assistant super¬ 
intendent of schools, coordinate with the business manager, to be 
known as the assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and 
grounds. This official would be in a position to use his combined 
forces in such a manner as to provide for the most economical and 
efficient operation and maintenance of the entire physical plant of 
the school system. 

The activities that would be transferred under this plan to the 
proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge of buildings 
and grounds are the following: 

(1) Custodjr and operation of buildings, now directly supervised 
by the superintendent of janitors under the general direction of the 
superintendent of schools. 

(2) Repair and alteration of buildings. The responsibility for this 
activity is now divided between the school authorities and the munici¬ 
pal architect. The office of the business manager determines the 
repair schedule, while the District repair shop, under the general 
direction of the.municipal architect, is charged with its execution. 

(3) The repair and replacement of school furniture and equipment, 
now under the direction of the business manager. 














































PART VII 

REPAIR AND ALTERATION OF BUILDINGS 


Repair Program. 

The school buildings and grounds have not been kept in a satis¬ 
factory condition of repair for many years on account of the in¬ 
sufficiency of funds provided for their upkeep as well as the hap¬ 
hazard and unsystematic methods in use for handling building 
maintenance work. The first difficulty has been partly corrected 
by the increased appropriations granted for the fiscal years 1926, 
1927, and 1928, which have made possible the establishment of a 
repair program that is gradually disposing of the many deferred 
items of building maintenance. There is a large amount of repair 
and replacement work still to be done before the school buildings can 
be considered to be in a satisfactory condition. 1 The program of 
replacement of the hot-air heating plants that have outlived their 
usefulness, the program of interior painting, the program of replace¬ 
ment of unsatisfactory toilet facilities, and the program of general 
repairs are still under way and at the present rate of progress will 
require several years for their completion. It is our opinion, based 
upon the findings of our engineers who have made a detailed survey 
of the condition of the school buildings, that the item of $529,610 
in the 1929 budget for repairs and improvements to school buildings, 
exclusive of grounds, should be granted. Approximately $200,000 
of this amount is applicable to deferred maintenance, for it is esti¬ 
mated that the total annual cost of maintenance of the present 
physical plant of the Washington schools after it has been put in a 
good state of repair will be $325,000. The estimates of our engineers 
indicate that the total deferred maintenance, exclusive of grounds, 
amounts to approximately $1,000,000. At an annual rate of $200,000 
it will require five years, beginning with the fiscal year 1929, to 
dispose of this item. 

School Grounds. 

With respect to school grounds, the office of the municipal archi¬ 
tect estimates that $430,000 will be required for their improvement, 
including grading, laying of walks, surfacing of playgrounds, sodding 
of lawns and setting of shrubbery for several new buildings, the 
resurfacing of a number of old playgrounds, and the beautification 
generally of the grounds of the old buildings. It is not possible to 
defray the cost of such work with construction funds for the new 
buildings authorized by the second deficiency appropriation act of 

i in this connection see Appendix C (report of a survey of the heating and ventilating systems of the 
District public schools) and Appendix D (report of a survey of conditions affecting health and safety in 
the public schools of the District of Columbia). 


163 






164 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


1925 and by the regular annual appropriation acts for the fiscal years 

1926 and 1927 on account of the provision in these acts that the 
construction of any building authorized therein shall be awarded in 
a single contract, exclusive of heating, lighting, and plumbing. 2 The 
budget for the fiscal year 1929 includes $100,000, to be made available 
from the unexpended balances of the above construction appropria¬ 
tions, for the improvement of school grounds surrounding buildings 
constructed under appropriations for the fiscal year 1927 and prior 
fiscal years. A review of the estimate submitted by the office of the 
municipal architect, which was prepared by the grading and cement¬ 
ing department of the District repair shop, indicates that so far as 
individual buildings are concerned the improvements recommended 
in many instances are not in accordance with the best practice of the 
art of landscape treatment. However, it is our opinion that if a 
program of beautification of school grounds is approved, it will 
require the estimated $430,000 for its completion. In any event, 
the $100,000 included in the 1929 budget should be granted for the 
purpose of treating the grounds of several new school buildings which 
are practically in the condition they were left by the contractors, and 
of improving the run-down condition of grounds surrounding many 
old buildings. 

It is our belief that if a program of school-ground beautification is 
approved, a qualified landscape architect should be employed to have 
charge of the plan and its execution. He should be attached to the 
office of the municipal architect. The design for the treatment of 
the ground areas around all new District buildings will thus come 
under his supervision, and, if our recommendation for the transfer 
of the repair shop to the school authorities is made effective, he will 
act as the advisor to the proposed assistant superintendent in charge 
of buildings and grounds in the matter of the improvement and up¬ 
keep of school grounds. It would also be necessary to add a principal 
gardener to the personnel of the repair shop, whose duties it would be 
to prepare sites, to seed and plant lawns, flower beds, shrubbery, and 
ornamental and shade trees, and to maintain such landscape im¬ 
provements by all forms of cultivation, including pruning and 
surgery. 

Present Organization and Methods. 

In connection with the method of handling repairs to school build¬ 
ings, it should first be pointed out that the responsibility for this work 
is divided between the Board of Education and the municipal archi¬ 
tect. The school officials determine the repair program, and the 
municipal architect is charged with its execution. Ordinary repairs 
and minor alterations are made by the District repair shop, a branch 
of the municipal architect’s office, which serves the entire District 
government in this connection. It maintains an average force of 
approximately 200 skilled tradesmen and laborers. In the case of 
major alterations, such as the installation of new heating plants or the 
installation of complete new toilet facilities, plans are prepared by the 
office of the municipal architect in consultation with the school 
officials, and contracts are let by the commissioners in the same 
manner as with new building construction. 


* This difficulty has been corrected by the regular appropriation act of 1928, which also excepts painting 
and treatment of grounds from the single contract provision. 




PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 165 

The procedure for handling ordinary repairs and minor alterations 
to school buildings is as follows: 

Requests for repairs to buildings and grounds are prepared by the 
school principals on forms prescribed and furnished by the school 
system. In the case of elementary schools the requests are sent first 
to the supervising principals for approval, who forward them to 
the office of the business manager for attention, while for the normal, 
senior high, junior high, and vocational schools the requests are sent 
to the business manager through the first assistant superintendents. 
The business manager reviews the requests and forwards those that he 
considers reasonable and regular in every way to the District repair 
shop with his approval, after he has designated them as emergency, 
essential, or desirable. The approved requests constitute the 
authority of the repair shop to perform the work indicated. Boilers, 
furnaces, steam and gas engines, motors and fans are periodically 
inspected and repaired by repair shop mechanics. During the in¬ 
terim between inspections requests for emergency repairs to heating 
and ventilating equipment are telephoned to the repair shop. In 
such cases the principals immediately prepare written requests for 
the work and submit them in the same manner as described above 
for regular requests for repairs. 

Work of an emergency nature is executed promptly. An allotment 
of at least $40,000 is made annually for emergency repairs, any un¬ 
expended balance of which is utilized for regular repair work. Re¬ 
quests for work not in the nature of an emergency are held by the 
repair shop in a pending file containing all unfilled requests, arranged 
as to schools. On June 1 and December 1 of each year, the repair 
shop prepares from its file of requests a schedule for each school 
building showing the pending repair items and the estimated cost of 
each. J The complete files of these schedules are known as the June 
and December repair lists. Upon the completion of a semiannual 
repair list, the superintendent of repairs reviews the many items, and 
indicates by a check mark those that he believes should be executed 
during the next six-months' period. His determination of the items 
to be included in the repair program is not based, except in occasional 
instances, upon an actual inspection of the various buildings. It is a 
desk review. It should be noted in this connection, however, that the 
superintendent of repairs and his foremen are continually visiting 
the school buildings in connection with the supervision of their work¬ 
men. Occasionally principals request their advice in the matter of 
requests for repairs, but they make no regular inspections as to repair 
needs. 

The superintendent of repairs after making his check of the repair 
list forwards it, together with an estimate of the total cost including 
shop overhead, to the business manager of the school system through 
the municipal architect and the engineer commissioner. The business 
manager reviews the items appearing on the repair list in detail and 
places a check mark opposite those he believes should be executed 
during the next six-months’ period. In the majority of cases his 
check" marks coincide with those of the superintendent of repairs. 
Not infrequently, however, he checks an item omitted by the super¬ 
intendent or leaves unchecked one included by the latter. However, 


3 The June schedules also include all recommendations for repairs and improvements made by the Are 
and health departments. 





166 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

the business manager’s determination of the items to be included in 
the repair program is not based, except in occasional instances, upon 
an actual inspection of the various buildings. It also is a desk review. 

The business manager, after completion of his review of the repair 
list, prepares a summarized statement of his recommended repair 
program for the action of the committee on buildings, grounds, and 
equipment of the Board of Education. 4 Upon the approval of the 
plan by the committee, the summary with the repair list attached is 
returned to the repair shop through the engineer commissioner and 
the municipal architect, and becomes the program by which the 
superintendent of repairs is governed during the following six months. 
A change in the recommended program bj r the committee on build¬ 
ings, grounds, and equipment, the office of the engineer commissioner, 
or the office of the municipal architect is a rare occurrence. 

It is evident from the above description of the methods in oper¬ 
ation for the handling of repairs to school buildings that the plan of 
maintenance is unsystematic and haphazard. The requests for re¬ 
pairs originate with the principals, who for the most part on account 
of their limited knowledge of building construction, report only such 
needs as are apparent on the surface. The approval of the requests 
by the supervisory educational officers and by the business manager 
is largely a matter of office routine, while the preparation and review 
of the repair lists are accomplished without definite knowledge of the 
actual repair needs on the part of any individual concerned, either 
from first-hand inspections of the buildings or from reports of quali¬ 
fied inspectors. 

The reports of our engineers, who personally inspected all school 
buildings in the District of Columbia indicate, first, that requests 
are not being made for all necessary repairs, and second, that all 
repair items ordered to be executed by the school authorities are not 
necessary considering the present status of the general repair program. 
A system which permits such a condition to exist results in waste, 
for not only are funds expended in certain cases before more pressing 
needs have been met, but actual needs in other cases are not being 
met on account of the failure to report them, causing abnormal 
depreciation and eventual increased cost of maintenance. 

Several outstanding examples of unsystematic and haphazard 
repair jobs are the following: 

1. The interior paint schedule for the fiscal year 1928 was deter¬ 
mined for the system as a whole, on the basis of the proportionate 
distribution to the several school divisions of the funds allotted for 
painting according to the approximate total building wall space 
remaining in the entire paint program for each division. Within 
divisions, the buildings were scheduled for painting on the basis of 
recommendations of the supervising principals. This has resulted in 
the scheduling of certain buildings for painting which are in much 
better condition than others which were not included in the schedule. 

2. The Langdon School building was painted, inside and out, at a 
cost of $2,601.56 during the fiscal year 1927, when a request was being 
made in the 1928 Budget for land and building to replace the Langdon 
School, which was granted. 


4 The authority of the business manager in this connection dates from Mar. 1, 1927. Prior to that date 
the committee on buildings, grounds, and equipment reviewed the repair lists in detail and prepared the 
repair program. 




PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 167 

3. The Langdon Shool building was also electrified during the 
fiscal year 1926, replacing illumination by gas, at a cost of $1,269.54. 

4. The Garnet School building was electrified during the fiscal 
years 1924 and 1925, replacing illumination by gas, at a cost of 
$1,838.32. This building will be razed in March, 1928, to make way 
for the Garnet-Patterson Junior High School, the authority for which 
was included in the appropriations for the fiscal year 1927. 

5. The artificial illumination of the Van Ness School was changed 
from gas to electricity during the fiscal year 1927 at a cost of $1,696.41. 
Upon the completion of the work it was discovered that the service 
connection to the school from the conduits of the Potomac Electric 
Power Co. would cost approximately $3,600, which was considered pro¬ 
hibitive. 5 The school now has no artificial illumination whatsoever. 

6. A condition regarding artificial illumination similar to that of 
the Van Ness School exists at the Syphax School. Gas was replaced 
by electricity during the fiscal year 1927 at a cost of $1,533.93. A 
service connection to the school would cost approximately $3,500. 
Since this cost has been considered prohibitive, the school is now 
without any artificial illumination whatsoever. 

7. In their examination of the Central High School plant our 
engineers found that the electric-generating plant was being operated 
in such a manner as to make possible the carrying of the total load 
for all lights and motors, approximately 1,050 amperes, for a limited 
time only. The two generators—500 and 800 amperes normal-load 
capacity—had never been synchronized to run parallel, and the 
larger generator had to carry the entire load when the demands on 
the plant were at their peak. It frequently happened, therefore, 
that insufficient illumination for the building was available. The 
engineer and electricians at Central High School had become con¬ 
vinced apparently that the only solution of the difficulty lay in the 
installation of a new generating plant, which would have cost approxi¬ 
mately $20,000. The matter was not referred by the school authori¬ 
ties to the District repair shop for attention. A study of the situa¬ 
tion by our engineers resulted in the correction of the difficulty at a 
cost of $250. The two generators now work in unison when neces¬ 
sary, producing 1,800 amperes or 700 amperes more than the peak 
load. 

Section E of the engineering report (Appendix C) on the survey of 
the heating and ventilating systems of the District of Columbia 
public schools, conducted under the direction of the United States 
Bureau of Mines, indicates a number of the ordinary repair needs 
which are not as a rule reported. 

A review of the repairs made during the last few years to buildings 
scheduled* for abandonment indicates that no consistent repair pro¬ 
gram for these buildings has been adopted. In some cases repairs 
have been made that might have been dispensed with, while in other 
cases essential repairs have not been made. 

As far as the quality of the work performed by the District repair 
shop is concerned, the reports of our engineers and of the school 
principals indicate that it is generally satisfactory. An investigation 
of the detailed job costs is now being made, and from the information 
gathered to date it appears that the costs in three of the eight depart- 


s It is understood that the cost for sucli a connection would now be about $2,000. This reduction is due 
to the extension of electric service to residences in the vicinity of the school. 




168 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

ments of the repair shop are higher than they should be. The cost 
of the other five departments appear to be uniformly reasonable, 
however. The reasons for the apparently high costs in three depart¬ 
ments are being examined into further. In this connection, atten¬ 
tion is invited to the fact that a misconception has arisen in some 
quarters regarding repair costs, because of the assumption that the 
estimate made by the repair shop is the approximate cost of the job. 
We have found that the estimates of the repair shop are in the 
majority of cases higher than the actual costs, which is explained 
by the desire to keep within the estimates in order that no shortages 
may arise in allotments of funds. 

Proposed Organization. 

The remedy for the present unsatisfactory condition in respect to 
the repair and alteration of school buildings lies, in our opinion, in 
the transfer of the entire responsibility for this activity to the school 
authorities, as was pointed out in Part II of the report. The direct 
supervision of the work should be placed in charge of a qualified 
mechanical engineer or architect of proved administrative ability, 
who would rank as an assistant superintendent of schools, coordinate 
with the business manager, to be known as the assistant superintend¬ 
ent in qharge of buildings and grounds. Supervision over the 
custodial and engineering forces of the school system, and the work 
of repair and replacement of furniture and equipment should also be 
assigned to the proposed office of assistant superintendent in charge 
of buildings and grounds. Under such a plan of organization, all the 
activities of the school system relating to the operation and main¬ 
tenance of buildings, grounds, and equipment would be centralized 
in one technically qualified, responsible school official, who would be 
in a position to use his combined forces in such a manner as to provide 
for more economical operation and systematic maintenance. More¬ 
over, the assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and grounds, 
would act as the technical adivsor to the superintendent of schools 
and the Board of Education in all matters coming within his field of 
activity, and as the coordinator between the office of the municipal 
architect and the school system. 

It is our opinion that the savings which will be accomplished by 
such a centralization of authority over the several activities relating 
to the physical plant of the school system will defray the cost many 
times over of necessary building inspection and increased cost of 
supervision. These savings will result from: 

1. A systematic program of repairs to buildings and equipment 
based upon reports of qualified inspectors. 

2. A more flexible organization of the custodial and repair forces, 
permitting of— 

(a) The establishment of a definite program of minor repairs to 
be made by the steam engineers and janitors. 

(b) The detail to the repair force of excess personnel of the steam 
engineering and janitorial forces which exists at certain periods of 
the year, particularly during the vacation seasons. 

3. Better care of the physical plant by the steam engineers and 
janitors, whose buildings will be checked periodically by the inspectors. 

4. A closer coordination between the designers of school buildings 
and building equipment and the operating forces of the buildings. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 169 

It may be held that the transfer of the repair shop to the school 
authorities will make necessary the establishment of a second shop 
to handle the repairs to buildings owned by the District of Columbia 
outside of the school system. In our opinion this objection should 
carry no weight in view of the benefits to be derived from the pro¬ 
posed consolidation and the savings which will be effected. Further¬ 
more, approximately 85 per cent of the work performed by the repair 
shop is in connection with school buildings and grounds. We see no 
reason why, if the proposed plan were made effective, the commis¬ 
sioners could not make arrangements with the school system to have 
the relatively small amount of repair work for the remaining District 
buildings handled by the school shop. 

The recommendations relating to repair and alteration of buildings 
may be summarized as follows: 

1. The item of $529,610 in the 1929 budget for repairs and improve¬ 
ments to buildings, exclusive of grounds, should be granted. 

2. The item of $100,000 in the 1929 budget for the improvement 
of school grounds should be granted for the purpose of treating the 
grounds of several new school buildings and improving the run-down 
condition of grounds surrounding many old buildings. 

3. The supervision of the repair and alteration of school buildings 
should be placed in charge of a qualified mechanical engineer or archi¬ 
tect of proved administrative ability who would rank as an assistant 
superintendent of schools, coordinate with the business manager, to 
be known as the assistant superintendent in charge of buildings and 
grounds. 














































PART VIII 


SCHOOL HEALTH SUPERVISION 1 

[By Dr. Grover A. Ivempf, surgeon in charge, and Dr. S. Blanche Sterling, acting 
assistant surgeon, field investigations in child hygiene, United States Public 
Health Service] 


The medical inspection of the school children of the District of 
Columbia is herein summarized. The present organization and its 
work and the needs of the division of medical inspection of schools 
are briefly discussed with the hope that the extent of the problem 
may be clear to all those interested. 


School population of the District in 1926, housed in 160 school buildings 



White 

Colored 

Total 

Kindergarten _ _ _ ... _ 

3,844 
32,134 
1,269 

1,815 

17,211 

351 

5, 659 

Grades 1-8_ ___ _ _ _ _... 

49; 345 
1,620 
539 

Ungraded special_ ______ 

Vocational _ _ _ _ _ 

84 

455 

Junior hieh erodes 7 and 8 _ 


3,020 
1,130 
8,542 
311 

968 

3,988 
1,412 
11,517 

Grade 9... ...... . _ _ 

282 

Senior high .. _ . _ .. 

2.975 

Normal . _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ 

472 

783 



Total_.. __ _ _ 


50, 334 

24, 529 

74,863 



Number of school days_ 181 

Average enrollment_ 65, 544 

Average daily attendance_61, 778 

Number of school buildings_ 160 


Personnel and Expenditures. 

Division of medical inspection of schools, fiscal year 1926 


Chief medical and sanitary inspector_$3, 800 

12 physicians, 3 hours a day for 5 days a week, at $1,680 per annum-20, 160 

10 school nurses for full time, at $1,680- 16, 800 

4 dental inspectors part time, at $1,500- 6, 000 

8 dental operators part time, at $1,500- 12, 000 

4 dental prophylactic operators, at $1,320- 5, 280 

Dental clinic maintenance- 1, 000 

Supplies, forms, etc--- 500 

Auto allowance, child medical inspection-- 205 

Car tokens, nurses, etc. (from school funds)- 400 


Total_ 66, 145 


1 The direction and control of the medical inspection and sanitary conditions of the Washington public 
schools are vested in the health officer of the District of Columbia. The survey of these activities was 
conducted by the United States Public Health Service. 


88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-12 


171 





































172 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Activities of Fiscal Year 1926. 

The essentials of the work done in the school year of 1925-26 are 
given below. The report for 1926-27 has not been completed. 
There has been no important change of the organization in 1926-27, 
so the work of last year will serve to show what has been done and the 
needs of the division of the medical inspection of schools. 

Examinations .—There were 61,191 children enrolled in the kinder¬ 
garten and the grades, including the junior high (seventh and eighth 
grades). Of this number of children, 16,483 were actually given a 
physical examination. Of the 8,900 kindergarten and first-grade 
children in school, only 3,571 were examined; 92.8 per cent of these 
children had defects of one nature or another requiring medical 
attention. 

Physical defects .—Some of the more important defects are enu¬ 
merated to show the need and value of this examination. 

Per cent 


Poor nutrition_ 23. 7 

Defective vision_ 12. 6 

Enlarged tonsils_ 45. 3 

Nasal obstruction (adenoids)_ 18. 2 

Defective teeth_63. 5 

Cardiac disease_ 2. 2 

Nervous system defects_ 3. 4 

Orthopedic defects_ 10. 6 

Speech defects_ 3. 8 


These percentages will show little variation in any new group of 
untreated children. 

As the medical school inspection personnel could examine only 
3,571 of these kindergarten and first-grade children, there were over 
5,000 with the same number of defects who were not seen by the 
physician. 

Other duties of medical staff .—In addition to this work, the medical 
inspectors are required to make sanitary surveys of the school build¬ 
ings and grounds, medical examination of teacher applicants and 
applicants for admission to the normal schools, mentally retarded 
pupils, and applicants for child labor permits. 

School nurses .—There were 10 school nurses devoting their full 
time to school work assisting the medical examiners, doing follow-up 
work, accompanying children to clinics, etc. 

Ten nurses means one nurse to each of 6,119 grade school children. 
With this large number of children the nurses were able to accomplish 
but a part of the work required. Of 10,806 cases referred to them, 
5,058 were completed in treatment for various conditions. 

Dental hygiene .—Dental hygiene is an important feature in the 
health of the school child. The organization has: 


4 dental inspectors (part time)___$6, 000 

8 dental operators (part time)___12, 000 

4 dental prophylactic operators_ 5, 280 

Maintenance of dental clinics_ 1, 000 

Supplies---- 500 


Total—---__J_ 24,780 


Number of pupils examined_ 22, 388 


Of these examined, 78.6 per cent required dental treatment. 























PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 173 

Total number of cavities—filling recommended_$28 616 

Total number of extractions recommended_ 1 q| 140 


• 38, 756 

Four dental clinics are in operation: 

Total number of fillings done_ 3 420 

Total number of extractions done_ 3 ’ 179 


11, 599 


Fillings per pupil___ _ 2 . 8 

Extractions per pupil_1111111111" k 1 

Dental prophylactic operators_ 4 

These operators work full time in instructing pupils in oral hygiene 
and in actual prophylactic work. 

Number of children receiving prophylactic treatments.. 6 , 469 

Cost of School Health Supervision. 


In the attempt to accomplish all this work the average cost for 
each school child was only 88 cents. This sum indicates the hope¬ 
less inadequacy of the present organization, due to lack of both funds 
and appreciation of effort. 

In 1923 in a study of 65 cities of over 100,000 population there 
were 23 cities expending from SI to S2 per pupil for school health 
supervision. 

Personnel and Budget Recommended. 

The following organization and budget are recommended to bring 
the school health supervision in the District of Columbia to the equal 
of other progressive cities. That this should be consummated can 
hardly be questioned, because the District of Columbia should be the 
leader in health practice for the other cities of the country to follow 
and not to ridicule. 


1 director of school health supervision_ $ 4 , 500 

20 medical examiners (part-time), at $2,000 (3 hours per day, 5 days per 

week)- 40, 000 

1 psychiatrist (part time)_ 1 , 500 

1 psychologist (full time)_ 2, 400 

2 psychiatric social workers, at $2,000_ 4, 000 

1 director of school nurses_ 3, 000 

2 nurse supervisors, at $2,400_ 4, 800 

28 school nurses, at $1,800_ 50, 400 

6 dental operators (part-time), at $1,600_ 9, 600 

6 dental hygienists (full time), at $1,600_ 9, 600 

1 stenographer_ 1, 500 

1 clerk________ 1,200 

Dental equipment, supplies, etc_ 3, 000 

Transportation of nurses_ 3, 000 

Forms_ 600 


Total..___-.— _ 139,100 


The 1926 budget of $66,145 for 74,863 public-school and kinder¬ 
garten children is 88 cents per pupil of these grades. 

The prescribed budget of $139,100 for 75,000 children of these 
grades would be $1.80. 

This budget wmuld place the school health supervision among the 
leaders but not first. The budget recommended is therefore not un¬ 
reasonable. 

An explanation of this budget is necessary. It is not to be hoped 
that this budget will be approved at once, but it is the goal to be 
reached within five years. 

































174 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Director. —The proposed salary of the director of school health 
supervision is not exorbitant for a well-qualified full-time physician. 
Years of training and experience are necessary to meet the demands 
of this office. 

Medical examiners. —Twenty medical examiners are recommended 
at $2,000, at 3 hours per day for 5 days per week during 11 months 
of the vear. The salary is fair for the work demanded of the medical 
examiner. 

Pie must be a qualified physician fond of work with children. His 
time allotted will permit a detailed examination of about 1,100 
children a year, and allow time for sanitary inspections of schools 
and examination of selected children. 

A complete physical examination of all pupils enrolled in all grades 
each year is not to be recommended at this time, but facilities should 
be provided for annual examinations in the kindergarten, first, third, 
and eighth grades. 

The proposed plan will permit inspection by the school nurse to 
select children of other grades who may need special attention. 

Preschool children. —During the two summer months the staff 
would examine preschool children at the schools as arranged for by 
the associated private organizations. 

Director of nurses. —A director of nurses is absolutely essential to 
the coordination and efficiency of a large staff of field nurses. Her 
salary should be sufficient to attract a qualified nurse. 

At least two field working supervisors are necessary to the efficient 
work of the nursing staff. 

School nurses. —Twenty-eight school nurses is a minimum for the 
number of children in this city. With the assistance of this number 
of nurses the medical examiners can do their work and the follow-up 
attention required can be carried out. Furthermore, all the children 
in each nurse’s district will pass her inspection and remain more 
directly under her care. 

Adequate provision for the transportation of nurses will be neces¬ 
sary. The Budget allows four street-car fares a day per nurse. Auto¬ 
mobiles are necessary for the supervising nurses. 

Dental operators. —This number is increased to six. Adequate 
provision for dental treatment of all school children is out of the 
question, but sufficient operators are designated to attempt to treat 
the emergency and indigent cases. 

Dental hygienists. — 1 The dental hygienist will assist the dental 
operator in the daily morning clinics. Without assistance the dental 
operator can care for 6 children and with assistance he can treat 
10 children. 

The dental hygienist will also do prophylactic work and teach oral 
hygiene. Dental equipment and supplies should be adequate at 
all times. 

Behavior problems in school children. —No school health service 
can ever be considered adequate unless some provision is made 
for the care and study of behavior problems in children. To establish 
this service the following personnel has been included: 

Psychiatrist. —He will serve part time and should be well qualified 
and interested in child problems. 

Psychologist. —The psychologist will serve full time for the study 
and care of behavior problems. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 175 

Psychiatric social workers .—The psychiatric social workers will 
work full time assisting the psychologist. 

A report of a survey of conditions affecting health and safety in 
the public schools of the District of Columbia will be found in Appen¬ 
dix D. This report was prepared by the offices of child hygiene and 
industrial hygiene investigations of the Public Health Service. A 
summary of the findings is appended because they have a direct 
bearing on the general subject of school health supervision. 

The school buildings of the District are subject to much improve 
ment. The essential features which can be remedied now are: 

Glass window-board ventilators for all classrooms with sash windows. 

Reliable thermometers properly placed in each classroom. 

The instruction of teachers in the principles of ventilating the rooms. 

The replacement of worn-out classroom furniture. 

The proper equipment of windows with shades and instruction in their use. 

The painting of walls and ceilings of classrooms at more frequent intervals. 

The furnishing of slate blackboards and limiting them to the front wall and 
right wall of the grade rooms. 

Smooth hardwood floors in all rooms used for kindergartens and first grades. 

Toilet and lavatory facilities for kindergarten children. 

Hard surfacing of sufficient area about the school building for restricted play 
in wet weather. 

Ample number of drinking fountains. 

Ample number and satisfactory placing of lavatory facilities. 

For future planning the following important features should 
receive consideration: 

Sufficient playground area to give each pupil the minimum of 50 square feet. 

Modern heating plants. 

All new school plans to receive the examination and approval of the chief of 
the health supervision and medical inspection of schools. 

The ample provision in school buildings for teachers’ rest rooms, medical 
examination rooms, and children’s rest rooms in each building. 

Special buildings for the atypical children now housed in makeshift, over¬ 
crowded buildings. 


/ 


APPENDIX A 

HISTORY OF THE WASHINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Congress, by an act of May 3, 1802, established the city of Washington with 
a regular municipal government. This act, as amended in 1804, was in effect 
the first charter of Washington. It provided for a mayor of the city appointed 
annually by the President of the United States and a city council composed of 
two chambers consisting of nine members each elected annually on separate bal¬ 
lots by the free white male citizens who paid taxes. The mayor appointed all 
other officers of the corporation. In accordance with the provision in the city 
charter for the “establishment and superintendence of schools,” the city council 
on December 5, 1804, passed an act “ to establish and endow a permanent institu¬ 
tion for the education of youth in the city of Washington,” which provided for a 
board of trustees of public schools. This board was composed of 13 members, 7 
of whom were chosen annually by the joint ballot of the 2 houses of the council 
and the other 6 by private individuals who had contributed more than $10 to the 
support of the public schools. The “ superintendence of public schools within 
the city of Washington ” was placed under the direction of the board, and it 
was granted the power to pass all necessary by-laws not inconsistent with the 
act, to receive donations, and to vest and apply the funds placed under its 
care in such manner as it saw fit. The act also provided an annual appropria¬ 
tion of not exceeding $1,500 for the support of the schools on account of the 
education of the children of the poor, who alone received free tuition. 

In 1816, Washington was divided into two school districts by act of the city 
council, each with a separate board of trustees. One board consisted of 9 
trustees, 6 of whom were chosen by joint ballot of the 2 houses of the city 
council and 3 of whom were elected by contributors; the other consisted of 
7 trustees, all chosen by joint ballot of the 2 houses of the city council. By 
the act of July 11, 1818, the city council discontinued the election of trustees 
by contributors, and provided that all members of the two boards should be 
chosen by joint ballot of the city council. In 1820 the trustees were forbidden 
by an act of the city council to receive any “pay pupils,” and the schools 
thereafter consisted entirely of children “ whose parents were unable to pay 
for their tuition.” 

During the period 1802-1844 the public schools grew slowly and developed 
little. This was due largely to the odium which had been brought upon the 
system by the requirement that education be offered only to the poor, and 
to the insufficiency of funds provided for the support of the schools. In fact, 
the schools were financed during this period in large part with funds raised 
by lotteries authorized by the city council. Public opinion favoring a change 
in the system made more and more insistent demands upon the city authorities, 
and finally, after heroic work on the part of the mayor in bringing the serious¬ 
ness of the situation before the community and the city council, the schools 
were reorganized by an act of December 4, 1844. 

Meanwhile, several changes had been made in the city charter, the most im¬ 
portant of which were in connection with the manner of selection of the city 
authorities. By the charter of 1820 the city corporation was composed of a 
mayor, a board of aldermen, and a board of common council. The mayor was 
elected biennially by direct vote of the citizens. The board of aldermen con¬ 
sisted of eight members, elected for a term of two years, two from each of the 
four wards into which the city was divided. The members of the board of 
aldermen were divided into two equal classes, one-half of them retiring annu¬ 
ally. The board of common council was composed of 12 members, 3 being 
elected from each ward for a term of 1 year. The elective franchise continued 
to be restricted to white male citizens who paid taxes. All other officers of the 
corporation were appointed by the mayor, by and with the advice and consent 
of the board of aldermen. The charter remained practically unaltered until 
1848, when it was amended to provide for the election of the assessor, regis- 

177 


178 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA 


ter, collector, and surveyor of the city, and the extension of suffrage to all 
free white males of 21 years of age who were subject to the school tax, and 
who had paid such tax and all other taxes upon personal property legally 
assessed against them. Thereafter, no change of any note was made in the city 
government until the city of Washington was merged with the other parts of 
the District of Columbia in the organization of a Territorial government in 
1871. 

By the act of the city council of December 4, 1844, reorganizing the school 
system, one board of 1.3 trustees was provided for, composed of 3 persons 
elected annually by joint ballot of the 2 boards of the common council from 
each of the 4 school districts into which the city was divided, and the mayor 
of the city as pi’esident of the board, ex officio. The control of the schools was 
vested in the board by this act, and it was granted the same broad authority in 
regard to the administration of school affairs which had been provided in 
earlier acts. 

The reorganization of 1844 marked a new era in the operation of the public 
schools of Washington. A new spirit was manifested toward the schools by the 
city council, for, while during the period 1805-1844 the appropriation for public- 
school support had averaged $1,511.92 annually, the funds provided during the 
first five years after the reorganization averaged slightly over $5,000 a year. 
Moreover, after experimenting with a combined free and pay plan of tuition for 
over three years without success, all tuition fees were abolished by an act of the 
city council of August 17, 1848, and universal eligibility of white children was 
adopted. 

In 1848 the first direct school tax was levied, and from that time forward the 
city council was liberal in its support of the schools, supplementing the school 
fund by means of appropriations from other revenues. During the five-year 
period. 1849-1853, the appropriations for school purposes amounted to $77,284.40, 
only $3,000 less than had been provided during the entire preceding 44 years, 
while during the 13-year period, 1854-1866, which was one of schoolhouse con¬ 
struction, the appropriations amounted to $648,448.84. 

In 1857 an act providing for a superintendent of public instruction to be 
appointed by the board of trustees was passed by the city council, but was 
vetoed by the mayor on the ground that such an officer should be nominated by 
the mayor in the same manner as other corporate offiecrs. In 1858 an act was 
passed which provided that the members of the board of school trustees should 
be appointed by the mayor, by and with the advice and consent of the board of 
aldermen: it also enlarged the powers of the board, but did not materially 
change its organization as provided by the act of 1844. 

The act of 1S5S vested the management of all the public schools in the city 
of Washington in the board of school trustees. The board was empowered to 
appoint and remove at pleasure all teachers, to prescribe the course of studies 
and the books to be used in the schools, to execute such by-laws and rules and 
regulations for the management of the schools as it might deem necessary or 
proper, and to determine upon and transact all business relating to the schools 
in accordance with its by-laws and regulations and subject to the laws of the 
municipal corporation. It was required to furnish annually to the city council 
estimates of the amounts necessary to meet the expenses of the schools for the 
following year and to report annually to the two houses of the city council, 
giving a full account of the proceedings for the preceding year. Practical 
supervision over the schools was also provided for by the act by means of 
sub-boards composed of divisions of the board, one sub-board for each school 
district. 

In 1S69 the city council provided for the appointment by the mayor, by and 
with the advice and consent of the aldermen, of a superintendent of public 
schools, to have general supervision over the schools under rules established 
by the board of trustees. 

By an act of Congress of February 21. 1871, the separate governments of 
the cities of Washington and Georgetown and of the county of Washington 
were abolished and a government for the District of Columbia established 
similar in organization to that provided for the Territories of the United 
States. The governor, in whom was vested the executive power, was appointed 
by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Senate, for a term of four years. He was empowered to commission all officers 
appointed or elected to offices of the District government. The legislative 
assembly was composed of a council and a house of delegates. The council 
was composed of 11 members, who were appointed by the President of the 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 179 


United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and the 
house of delegates was composed of 22 members elected for a term of one year. 
A secretary, appointed for the same term and in the same manner as the 
governor, was also provided for, who was to take the place of that oflicer in 
case of the latter’s absence or disability. 

The transition to another form of government did not change the organiza¬ 
tion of the board of trustees of the Washington public-school system, nor the 
authority of its superintendent. By acts approved August 21 and 23, 1871, 
the legislative assembly created the offices of superintendent of the Georgetown 
schools and superintendent of county schools. The governor extended the 
jurisdiction of the superintendent of the Washington schools to the Georgetown 
schools, but appointed a separate superintendent of the county schools. How¬ 
ever, in the following year supervision over the county schools was also 
assigned to the superintendent of the Washington schools. But the boards of 
trustees of the Georgetown schools and of the Washington County schools con¬ 
tinued to control the school affairs of their respective territories. The colored 
schools of Washington as originally established by Congress were entirely inde¬ 
pendent of the local municipal governments, their management being lodged 
in the Department of the Interior, and no change was made in this respect by 
the act creating the new form of government. However, by an act of Congress 
approved March 3, 1873, the control of the colored schools of Washington and 
Georgetown was transferred to the government of the District of Columbia, and 
it was made the duty of the governor to appoint a board of nine trustees and a 
superintendent for the control and management of these schools. We find, there¬ 
fore, at the beginning of 1874, the control of the public schools of the District of 
Columbia vested in four separate boards of trustees, one for the white schools 
of the city of Washington, one for the white schools of Georgetown, one for 
the schools of the county of Washington, and one for the colored schools of the 
cities of Washington and Georgetown. There were but two superintendents 
of schools, however, one for the white schools of Washington and Georgetown 
and the county schools, and one for the colored schools of Washington and 
Georgetown. 

The early history of the Georgetown schools, the schools of the county of 
Washington, and the colored schools follows: 

Until 1842 Georgetown’s school activities had been restricted to aiding pri¬ 
vate schools. By the ordinance of December 31. 1842. however, the municipality 
took over the schools then in operation and supported by appropriations of 
public money. The ordinance also provided for the establishment of a board 
of seven guardians, in whom was vested the control over the schools and who 
were appointed annually by joint ballots of the two boards of the city council. 
The board of guardians continued to direct the policies of the Georgetown 
schools under the Territorial form of government established in 1871. 

The first system of free public schools in the county of Washington, outside 
of the cities of Washington and Georgetown, was organized under the provi¬ 
sions of an act of Congress approved June 25, 1864. It provided for a board 
of seven school commissioners, each representing a school district, to be ap¬ 
pointed annually by the levy court, and to have control over the school system. 
The school funds raised by an annual school tax levied by the levy court were 
required to be spent on white and colored schools in proportion to the number 
of white and colored children between the ages of 6 and 17. The board of 
school commissioners continued to direct the policies of the county schools 
under the Territorial form of government established in 1871. 

There were no public schools for colored children in the District of Columbia 
before the Civil War. However, as early as 1807 a school for the instruction 
of the children of free colored people was opened in Washington. From that 
time until 1860 there were always schools of this character, some of them 
being managed at times as free schools. They received no public aid. however, 
the cost of operating the free schools being defrayed by contributions from relief 
societies. In 1862 Congress passed an act vesting the control of the colored 
schools of Washington and Georgetown in a board of three trustees, who were 
named by the act, and whose successors were to be appointed by the Secretary 
of the interior. The act also provided for the support of the schools by 
authorizing a school tax on the property of colored persons. The funds acquired 
from this source did not prove adequate, however, and in 1864 Congress required 
the municipal governments of Washington and Georgetown to set apart annually 
from their school funds such a proportionate part thereof as the number of 
colored children between the ages of 6 and 17 bore to the whole number of 


180 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

• 

children of school age in the two cities. The board of trustees for the colored 
schools of Washington and Georgetown was increased to nine members in 1873, 
and the power of appointing the members thereof was vested in the governor 
of the Territorial government of the District of Columbia. 

The territorial form of government for the District of Columbia was abol¬ 
ished by an act of Congress approved June 20, 1874. In its stead was estab¬ 
lished a commission form of government, under which the executive authority 
was vested in three commissioners appointed by the President of the United 
States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and the legislative 
functions were reserved by Congress to itself. This form of government was 
considered at the time it was established merely as a temporary expedient, the 
act creating it providing for the appointment of a joint select committee to 
prepare a suitable form of government for the District of Columbia and to 
report to Congress drafts of statutes to carry its recommendations into effect. 
After consideration of various proposals over a period of four years, Congress, 
by an act of June 11. 1878. made permanent the commission form of government 
for the District of Columbia. This act still remains the organic law of the 
District, although it has undergone many alterations. 

The act of 1878 continues the Distinct of Columbia as a municipal corpora¬ 
tion. It vests the control of the local administration of the District of Colum¬ 
bia in a board of three commissioners who devote their entire time to the 
public service. In addition, while Congress acts as the legislature of the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia, it lias, however, conferred upon the commissioners extensive 
powers of legislation with reference to matters of local interest. 

Two commissioners are appointed from civil life by the President of the 
United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and hold 
office for a term of three years. The civil commissioners must be citizens of 
the United States and must have been residents of the District of Columbia 
for three years immediately preceding their appointment. They are eligible 
for reappointment. As the third commissioner the President of the United 
States details an officer of the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army 
who has attained at least the grade of captain and has served in the Engineer 
Corps for at least 15 years. It has been customary to retain an engineer officer 
as commissioner for a period of not more than four years. 

All taxes collected by the District government are required to be paid into 
the Treasury of the United States, and all expenditures of the District must 
be made in accordance with appropriations authorized by Congress on itemized 
vouchers which have been audited and approved by the auditor of the District 
of Columbia and certified by the commissioners. The accounts of all account¬ 
able officers of the District are settled and adjusted by the General Accounting 
Office of the United States. 

Soon after the first board of commissioners came into office in 1874 it 
ordered the replacement of the 4 boards of trustees then in control of school 
affairs by 1 board, composed of 19 members, 5 of whom were colored. Eleven 
members were chosen from the city of Washington, three from the city of 
Georgetown, and five from the county of Washington. The two superin¬ 
tendencies were retained, however; one for the white schools and one for the 
colored schools. 

By the act of 1878 establishing permanently the commission form of gov¬ 
ernment for the District of Columbia, the powers and duties of the board of 
school trustees were transferred to the commissioners.. The act provided, 
however, for the appointment by the commissioners of a new board of 19 
school trustees who were to serve for such terms as the commissioners might 
fix. In 18S2 the membership of the board of school trustees was reduced to 
nine. By an act of March 1, 1895, Congress authorized the commissioners to 
appoint women as members of the board of school trustees, and increased the 
membership on that account to 11. 

In 1900 the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia undertook an 
exhaustive inquiry into the organization and management of the public 
schools. The hearings held by the committee developed the indefiniteness of the 
authority granted the board of school trustees by the act of 1878, which had 
practically resulted in the assumption by the board of commissioners of the 
power of administration over the schools. To remedy this situation Congress 
passed an act providing for a board of education composed of seven mem¬ 
bers appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia for terms 
of seven years, except for the first appointments, which were made in such a 
manner as to have one term of office terminate each year. Compensation of 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


181 


the membei’s of the board was authoi’ized at the rate of $10 for each meeting 
personally attended, but the total for any one member for a year was not to 
exceed $500. 

The board was granted complete jurisdiction over all administi’ative mat¬ 
ters connected with the public schools, except that all expenditures of public 
funds for school purposes were to be made and accounted for under the direc¬ 
tion and control of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia as provided 
for by law. Specific power was granted to the board to appoint a superintend¬ 
ent of schools and two assistant superintendents, one of whom, under the 
direction of the superintendent, was to have charge of schools for colored 
children. The board was further empowered to employ and remove all teachers, 
officers, and other employees connected with the school system. Finally, the 
board was required to transmit annually to the Commissioners of the District 
of Columbia an estimate in detail of the amount of money required for the 
public schools for the ensuing year, which the commissioners were to include 
in their annual estimate of appropriations for the District of Columbia with 
such recommendations as they deemed proper. 

After examining into the administration of the public schools of the District 
of Columbia under the provisions of the act of 1900. Congress passed a new 
organic act in 1900 establishing the school system as it exists to-day. The 
act of June 20, 1900, vests the control of the public schools in a board of edu¬ 
cation consisting of nine members, all of whom shall have been five years resi¬ 
dent in the District of Columbia immediately preceding their appointment, 
and three of whom shall be women. The members of the board, who serve 
without compensation, are appointed by the Supreme Court judges of the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia, for terms of three years each, except that the original ap¬ 
pointments under the act were three for one year, three for two years, and 
three for thi'ee years. Members are eligible for reappointment. 

The board determines all questions of general policy relating to the schools, 
appoints certain executive officers and defines their duties, and directs expendi¬ 
tures, which are made and accounted for under the direction and control of 
the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. The board appoints one super¬ 
intendent of schools for a term of three years, who is charged with the direction 
and supervision of all matters pertaining to the instruction in the schools. The 
superintendent has a seat in the board and the right to speak on all matters 
before the board, but not the right to vote. The board has the power to remove 
the superintendent at any time for adequate cause affecting his character and 
efficiency as superintendent. 

No appointment, promotion, transfer, or dismissal of any director, super¬ 
vising principal, principal, head of department, teacher, or any other subordi¬ 
nate to the superintendent of schools, may be made by the Board of Education, 
except upon the written recommendation of the superintendent. The board, 
upon the written recommendation of the superintendent, appoints one first 
assistant superintendent for the white schools and one first assistant superin¬ 
tendent for the colored schools, who, under the direction of the superintendent, 
have general supervision over the schools in their respective divisions. The 
act also provides specifically for certain other officers and two boards of exam¬ 
iners, one for the white schools and one for the colored schools. 

Under the organic act of 1906 the commissioners were required to transmit 
the annual estimates of needs of the Board of Education as determined by the 
board in the estimates of appropriations for the District of Columbia with 
such recommendations as they might deem proper. This practice was dis¬ 
continued, however, by the act of June 29, 1922, which made a change in the 
manner of financing the expenditures of the District of Columbia, whereby the 
school estimates are made a part of the budget of the commissioners, subject 
to their review and revision. 


APPENDIX B 


PROPOSED REORGANIZATION BILL APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF 

EDUCATION JUNE 11, 1924 

[H. R. 11404, Sixty-eighth Congress, second session] 

A BILL To amend sections 2 and 3 of an act entitled “An act to regulate the salaries 

of teachers, school officers, and other employees of the Board of Education of the 

District of Columbia,” approved June 20, 1906 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of. Representatives of ihe United States 
of America in Conyj-ess assembled, That sections 2 and 3 of the act entitled “An 
act to regulate the salaries of teachers, school officers, and other employees of 
the Board of Education of the District of Columbia,” approved Jime 20, 1906, 
be, and the same are hereby, amended to read as follows: 

I. The Board of Education and Its Functions 

Sec. 2. The control of the public schools of the District of Columbia is hereby 
vested in a Board of Education to consist of nine members, all of whom shall 
have been for five years immediately preceding their appointment boya fide 
residents of the District of Columbia and three of whom shall be women. The 
members of the Board of Education shall be appointed by the Supreme Court 
judges of the District of Columbia for terms of three years each, except that the 
original appointments under this act shall be as follows: Three for one year, 
three for two years, and three for three years, and members shall be eligible for 
reappointment. The members shall serve without compensation. Vacancies 
for unexpired terms, caused by death, resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled 
by the judges of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. The board 
shall meet for organization within 30 days after appointment. They shall ap¬ 
point a secretary, who shall not be a member of the board, and they shall hold 
stated meetings at least once a month during the school year, and such addi¬ 
tional meetings as they may from time to time provide for. The organization 
meeting and all regular meetings shall be open to the public, but nothing herein 
provided shall prevent the Board of Education from holding such conferences 
as in its judgment may be deemed necessary. 

No appointment, promotion, transfer, or dismissal of any director, supervising 
principal, principal, head of department, teacher, or any other subordinate to the 
superintendent of schools shall be made by the Board of Education except upon 
the written recommendation of the superintendent of schools. 

The board shall determine all questions of general policy relating to the 
schools, shall appoint the executive officers hereinafter provided for, define 
their duties, and direct expenditures. 

The board shall appoint all teachers in the manner hereinafter prescribed 
and all other employees provided for in this act. 

The board shall annually, at such time and in such form as may be required 
by law. transmit to the director of the Bureau of the Budget an estimate in 
detail of the amount of money required for the operation of an efficient school 
system in the District of Columbia for the ensuing year. 

The purchasing officer of the District of Columbia shall also be the pur¬ 
chasing officer for the Board of Education. 

The auditor of the District of Columbia shall also be the auditor for the 
Board of Education. The expenditure of funds appropriated for the public- 
school system shall be made under the direction and control of the Board of 
Education. 

The disbursing officer of the District of Columbia shall also be the disbursing 
officer for the Board of Education. The method of disbursement of moneys 
appropriated for the payment of salaries of employees of the public-school 
system shall be defined by the Board of Education. 

182 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


183 


Laud for school sites aud school playgrounds shall be purchased by the Com¬ 
missioners of the District of Columbia on recommendation of the Board of 
Education. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall be charged 
with the construction of all school buildings, alterations, repairs, and improve¬ 
ments, after consultation with and approval by the Board of Education, of 
the plans and specifications therefor. 

II. The Superintendent of Schools and the Administrative Staff 

Sec. 3. The board of education shall appoint one superintendent for all the 
public schools in the District of Columbia, who shall hold said office for a 
term of three years, and who shall have the direction of and supervision in 
all matters pertaining to the instruction in all the schools under the board 
of education. He shall have a seat in the board and the right to speak on 
all matters before the board, but not the right to vote. 

The board shall have power to remove the superintendent at any time 
for adequate cause affecting his character and efficiency as superintendent. 

The board, upon the written recommendation of the superintendent of schools, 
shall also appoint one white first assistant superintendent for the white schools 
and one colored first assistant superintendent for the colored schools. 

The white first assistant superintendent in charge of white schools shall be 
the superintendent’s chief deputy in that division of the school system. Under 
the direction of the superintendent of schools, he shall have general direction 
and supervision over teachers, classes, and schools for white pupils. In the 
absence of the superintendent of schools, the first assistant superintendent for 
white schools shall be his deputy in respect to all matters not specifically 
delegated by act of Congress to the first assistant superintendent for colored 
schools. He shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the 
superintendent of schools. 

The colored first assistant superintendent in charge of colored schools shall 
be the superintendent’s chief deputy in that division of the school system. Under 
the direction of the superintendent of schools, he shall have sole charge of all 
employees, classes, and schools in which colored children are taught. He shall 
perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the superintendent of schools. 

The board shall also appoint a business manager, who shall rank in salary as 
an assistant superintendent and who shall have charge, under the direction of 
the superintendent, of all matters pertaining to the business management of the 
school system. 

The board shall appoint two directors of educational research in the school 
system, one white and one colored, who shall rank in salary as assistant super¬ 
intendents, and who shall, under the direction of the superintendent, carry on 
a continuous scientific study of their respective divisions of the school system in 
the interest of financial economy and of efficiency of instruction. 

The Board of Education shall abolish the positions of director of intermediate 
instruction and director of primary instruction in the white schools and shall 
reduce the number of supervising principalships in the white schools from nine 
to five as the services of the present incumbents are terminated by death, retire¬ 
ment. resignation, or promotion: and in lieu of each two positions thus abolished 
the board shall appoint assistant superintendents of schools as follows: 

(a) One assistant superintendent for kindergarten and elementary education 
in Grades-I, II. III. and IV. 

(&) One assistant superintendent for elementary and junior high school edu¬ 
cation in Grades Y, VI. VII, VIII, and IX. 

(c) One assistant superintendent for educational extensions and supple¬ 
mentary educational activities. 

Each of the above assistant superintendents shall perform such other duties 
as the superintendent of schools may direct. 

The board of education shall reduce the number of supervising principalships 
in the colored schools from four to two, as the services of the present incumbents 
are terminated by death, retirement, resignation, or promotion, and in lieu of 
the two positions thus abolished the board shall, on the written recommendation 
of the colored first assistant superintendent in charge of colored schools, 
approved by the superintendent of schools, appoint a colored assistant super¬ 
intendent of schools. 

The colored assistant superintendent of schools shall, under the direction 
of the colored first assistant superintendent in charge of the colored schools, 
have general supervision over kindergarten and elementary education, and 


184 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

shall be designated by the superintendent of schools as chief examiner for the 
board of examiners for the colored schools. He shall perform such other duties 
as may be prescribed by the superintendent of schools. 

The board of education shall abolish the positions of director of domestic 
science and director of domestic art in the white schools, as the services of 
the present incumbents are terminated by death, retirement, resignation, or 
promotion, and in lieu thereof shall appoint one director of home economics 
for the white schools. 

The board of education shall abolish the positions of assistant director of 
domestic science and the assistant director of domestic art in the colored 
schools as the services of the present incumbents are terminated by death, re¬ 
tirement, resignation, or promotion, and in lieu thereof shall appoint one director 
of home economics for the colored schools. 

The foregoing officers shall be appointed by the board of education upon the 
written recommendation of the superintendent of schools. 

Nothing in the amendments herein made to sections 2 and 3 shall be con¬ 
strued as legislating out of office any person now in the service, except as 
specifically stated, or as requiring that any person now in service shall be 
required to be reappointed by reason of the operation of this act. 


APPENDIX C 


REPORT OF A SURVEY OF THE HEATING AND VENTILATING SYS¬ 
TEMS OF THE DISTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BY THE BUREAU OF 

MINES 

Mr. O. P. Hood, 

Chief Engineer, Mechanical Division. 

Sir: An investigation has been made of the heating and ventilating equip¬ 
ment of the public schools of the District of Columbia. It was made with a 
view of observing the following: 

A. The temperature and ventilation maintained in the buildings and the 
effect upon comfort and cleanliness. 

B. The general design of the heating systems with regard to— 

1. Fitness for being operated efficiently and at reasonable loads. 

2. Adaptability to use the low-priced fuels available in the District, 

and to operate smokelessly. 

3. Adequacy of the draft. 

4. Cost of maintenance. 

C. The coal and ash handling arrangements. 

D. The general design of the ventilating systems. 

E. The general condition of the heating and ventilating equipment. 

F. The operating personnel. 

G. The general safety. 

There follows a discussion of each of these item in order and certain general 
recommendations based upon the observations. There is included also in sepa¬ 
rate cover the original field notes, in which will be found specific items of detail 
pertinent to each school. 

GENERAL SUMMARY OF HEATING SYSTEM 

During the school year 1926-27 there were 92 buildings and 3 additions being 
heated by steam. At the beginning of the school year 1927-28 there will have 
been added to this number 12 remodeled old schools and 1 new school, raising 
this total to 105 buildings and 3 additions heated by steam. The McKinley 
Technical High School is the only building entirely heated by hot water. 
Twenty-five buildings were heated with warm-air furnaces, the air being cir¬ 
culated by gravity. Of this number 10 were being remodeled this summer 
with steam-heating systems and one was razed to give room for a new struc¬ 
ture. This leaves a balance of 14 buildings heated by warm air, gravity cir¬ 
culation. Forty-five buildings were heated by warm-air furnaces, using fans 
to circulate the air, three of which have been enlarged with steam-heated 
additions. Two of these buildings are being remodeled and enlarged. When 
completed they are to be heated by steam, leaving a balance of 43 buildings 
using fan circulation of air. The Van Buren Annex and two one-room per¬ 
manent schools located in the thinly populated sections of the city were heated 
by stoves, as were also about 75 portable one-room buildings. 

(A) The Temperature and Ventilation Maintained in the Buildings and 
the Effect upon Comfort and Cleanliness 

STEAM AND HOT-WATER HEATING 

The temperature, comfort, and ventilation maintained in the public schools 
can be considered in general as being satisfactory where steam or hot water 
is used for heating. One difficulty in these systems is that generally some one 
room is slower to heat than others. Such rooms are usually those located 
farthest from the boilers or exposed to the north or west winds. The fresh 
air used for ventilating in these buildings is not polluted by anything that can 

185 


186 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


be attributed to the heating system, since the furnace gases can not be mixed 
with the fresh air as frequently happens in the warm-air furnace. The cleanli¬ 
ness of the buildings is not much affected by these systems, as the boiler rooms 
are isolated in most cases from the rest of the basement, preventing, to a great 
extent, the escape of furnace dirt into the building. 

WARM-AIR HEATING 

Where the buildings are equipped with warm-air heating systems, their tem¬ 
perature and ventilation are less satisfactory and they are not so clean. 

There is a constant liability of these systems being operated at one or an¬ 
other extreme, either with large volumes of air at a lower heating tempera¬ 
ture, thereby causing abnormal drafts, or operated with small volumes of air 
at higher temperatures, either being unsatisfactory. 

The buildings where hot-air heaters have been installed are old. There is an 
excess infiltration of cold air about loose-fitting windows. This causes a dis- 
tui’bance of the normal flow of air to be expected in such systems. In some 
rooms the flow of air is frequently reversed, thereby preventing them from 
being adequately heated. 

Cracks frequently open in the furnace structure which .allows smoke, soot, 
and gas to mix with the fresh air entering the heater and to be sent to the 
rooms. 

The furnaces in many buildings are located in open basements, and not in 
isolated rooms. This allows the dirt common to their operation to filter 
through the building. 

Dirt, smoke, and odors rapidly penetrate these buildings as the fresh-air 
intakes are in most cases at the grade level and frequently face either a 
playyard or alley. Any dust created, as when ashes are being collected, enters 
the" building through these intakes. Garbage awaiting collection in the alley 
when not properly covered or when being collected creates odors which are 
carried into the building. 

It is not uncommon with the warm-air heat for the teachers or children to be 
obliged to get extra wraps, or to find it necessary to combine classes in favorably 
situated rooms on very cold, windy days. 

It is frequently necessary to wheel coal and ashes through the basement from 
and to storage. This operation produces much dirt which, unless swept up 
immediately, is tracked through the building by the children. 

STOVES 

When ordinary stoves are used they are placed in the classrooms with the 
usual primitive results. 

(B) The General Design of the Heating Systems 

The steam-generating plants vary in size and capacity from high-pressure 
power plants capable of generating electrical current needed in the buildings 
to the more common low-pressure heating plants. Water-tube and fire-tube 
steel boilers and cast-iron sectional boilers are used. 

The water-tube boilers have straight, slightly inclined tubes and longitudinal 
drums. The fire-tube boilers are either vertical or horizontal, the latter being 
either of the standard return tubular or the down-draft type. 

water-tube boilers 

Water-tube boilers are installed in all normal schools, senior high schools 
(except Western High School), the Brown grade school, and the M Street 
heating plant. Mechanical stokers are installed only in the M Street heating 
plant and the senior high schools, where they are placed only under the boilers 
which carry the heavy winter loads. One forced-draft installation is at the 
Armstrong Technical High School. It serves the boiler used to carry the winter 
load. 

The Brown School is the only one of these buildings equipped with a single 
boiler. All of the other installations have boilers connected so that any unit 
can be placed in or out of service. This arrangement is favorable to economic 
operation. Each unit is capable of carrying an overload and can burn the 
lower-priced fuels. With the natural draft available, however, no unit can now 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


187 


be forced to carry its full possible overload and therefore the maximum capacity 
of each unit is never reached. With the exception of the Brown School, each 
boiler room was designed for its function, and it was therefore possible to design 
the boiler setting and the stack so as to make smokeless combustion possible. 
With proper firing, no excessive smoke should he produced. 

All the plants of this group other than the Brown School generate steam at a 
pressure from GO to 110 pounds per square inch gauge. At the Brown School 
steam is generated at about 20 pounds per square inch gauge. This steam is 
delivered either direct to the distributing mains of the heating systems through 
pressure reducing valves or to engines generating electricity for the building. 
The steam exhausted from these engines is delivered to the heating systems. 
In these cases the engines render a dual service, that of generating electricity 
and of acting as pressure-reducing valves. 

Complete electric power plants have been installed at the Armstrong Tech¬ 
nical High School. McKinley Technical High School, and Central High School. 
At the Wilson Normal Training School a steam engine drives an electric 
generator which serves the fresh-air ventilating fan motor. In each of these 
buildings provision has been made to use power from the Potomac Electric 
Power Co. when desired. 

The power plant of Central High School generates direct current, while only 
alternating current can be purchased. The Department of Chemistry suffers 
from this arrangement as their ventilating fans, wound to use direct current, 
can not be operated on purchased current, thereby making it impossible to 
remove fumes or noxious gases from the room when purchased current must be 
used. 

The maintenance cost of these heating plants for the past five years, as shown 
by District of Columbia repair shop records, were studied together with the 
amount of coal delivered. The average cost of maintenance per ton of coal 
delivered showed a wide variation from $0.54 to $4.28, Eastern High School 
being the lowest, the Dunbar High School and the Armstrong Technical High 
School ranking next. The highest expenditure was for the Wilson Normal 
School where the cost of maintenance was about two-thirds the cost of the fuel. 
It is desirable to have reliable maintenance costs extending over a period of 
years and, if possible, covering the life of the plant since it was installed. 
Such records are not now available. However, all of these maintenance costs, 
with the possible exception of the two lowest, are quite high. 

VERTICAL FIRE-TUBE BOILERS 

Vertical fire-tube boilers have been installed in a few buildings to supply 
steam to cafeterias for cooking and for heating water for general service. They 
are not connected to the heating system. The feed-water supply is through a 
hand-controlled valve on the city water line. The steam once used is exhausted 
to the atmosphere. While these boilers are all hand fired and capable of burn¬ 
ing low r -priced fuels satisfactorily, the arrangement is not efficient when all 
costs are considered. When each is placed in service an operator must be 
assigned solely to the unit, who must always be alert and see that the proper 
water level is maintained under the ever-fluctuating load and that the boiler 
pressure never equals or exceeds that of the city water supply. At the Eastern 
High School, where such a unit has been installed, a complete piping system has 
been built into the building to return to the boiler all condensate from the 
exhaust steam, but this has never been connected to the units served or to the 
boiler. No statement can be made relative to the cost of maintenance of the 
boilers used for this service, as the available records do not itemize the expendi¬ 
tures for each individual unit 

RETURN TUBULAR BOILERS 

Horizontal return tubular boilers are only used for heating. All the installa¬ 
tions are comparatively old, the most recent being put in about 1910. They 
are rated as power boilers, equipped with grates that burn low-priced fuels and 
are operated at low pressure under natural draft. Firing is done by hand. 
Where more than one unit is installed they are connected so that any unit can 
be put in or out of service. This is favorable to economical operation. The 
basements of these buildings were not designed to serve as boiler rooms. On 
account of low basement headroom it was necessary to excavate for all these 


88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1-13 



188 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


boilers. This makes it necessary to fire them from sunken pits, which vary in 
depth down to about 5 feet. None of the pits are sufficiently large for an 
operator to properly tend his fires. This materially lowers his efficiency as 
well as that of the plant. These installations were completed before much 
consideration was given to boiler settings for smoke abatement, and they do not 
operate smokelessly at ail times. The limited headroom makes it difficult to 
correct this condition. 

The costs of maintenance for these plants also show wide variation . Attention 
is called to the Columbia Junior High School, where the average cost of repairs 
for five years is about .$0.27 per ton of coal delivered, which is somewhere near 
good power-plant practice. 

BOILERS WITH DOWN-DRAFT FURNACES 

Low-pressure down-draft smokeless boilers are also used for heating. They 
are all operated under natural draft and are hand fired. They are well adapted 
to burning run-of-mine bituminous coal and are quite efficient boilers when 
properly fired. Where more than one boiler is installed they are so connected 
that any unit can be placed in or out of service. As the name implies, these 
boilers, when properly installed and operated, can have smokeless combustion. 
To fire them properly requires special instruction. In several instances the 
upper grates have been removed, thereby removing the special advantage of the 
smokeless feature. There are also firemen who do not use the upper grate. 
In either case smokeless combustion can not be successfully maintained nor 
the full capacity of the boiler attained. 

CAST-IRON SECTIONAL BOILERS 

About one-half of the steam-heated buildings are equipped with vertical cast- 
iron sectional boilers. They are all low-pressure boilers and operate under 
natural draft. Firing is done by hand. Although low-priced fuels have been 
furnished for these units, there is a general complaint that it is unsatisfactory, 
which is partly due to the grate-bar openings being too wide. Where more 
than one unit has been installed they are connected so that any unit can be 
placed in or out of service. Most buildings have a draft satisfactory for the 
loads they carry. These boilers have been used extensively to replace the worn- 
out warm-air furnaces in remodeled buildings, but direct comparisons of net 
cost of maintenance can not be made, as the latter have been installed too short 
a period of time. 


HEATING BY HOT WATER 

Hot water is the heating medium for the McKinley Technical High School 
and for certain basement classrooms and toilet additions of several buildings 
otherwise heated by warm air. At the McKinley Technical High School the 
water is heated by steam—the exhaust from the engines in the power plant or, 
if necessary, by live steam taken direct from the boilers. It is circulated 
throughout the building by pumps. This general method of combining pro¬ 
duction of electricity and heating steam gives good, economical results. The 
other hot-water installations, being of an auxiliary nature, are small, and to 
reduce to a minimum the care and attention required they have been equipped 
to burn anthracite coal. 


HEATING BY WARM AIR 

The warm-air heating systems are of two types: Those arranged so that an 
individual furnace can only supply its connected load, and those arranged so 
that any one of several furnaces in a battery may supply all sections of the 
building. 

In the former installations the load of one furnace can not be transferred to 
or carried by the others. This necessitates the maintaining of fires in each 
furnace throughout the entire heating season. Such practice lowers the operat¬ 
ing efficiency and increases both the fuel consumption and hours of labor. In 
all these cases the furnaces are located in the open basement under the rooms 
which they heat. The coal and ashes must be transported through the open 
basement, the dirt from which increases the janitorial duties. Fresh air is 
admitted under the furnaces from opened windows. Over the furnaces and to 
the sides are brick flues through which the heated air passes on its way to 


189 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

the classrooms. It is circulated either by gravity or by fans. With gravity 
circulation each furnace supplies warm air to two classrooms, one above the 
other, and also aids in heating the first-floor corridor. When fans are used 
the load per boiler is increased to include two more classrooms, one above the 
other. All offices and the second-floor corridors are dei>endent upon the gen¬ 
eral warmth of the buildings for their heat. Radiation from the furnaces 
and smoke pipes is insufficient to properly warm the basements. It is also 
frequently necessary to install gas stoves in the offices to heat them properly, 
and to install coal stoves in the basement toilet rooms to keep the pipes from 
freezing. 

In the later installations, where flexible operation is provided, the furnaces 
are placed in rows or batteries and are usually located in isolated rooms. In 
each instance the fresh air forced to the furnaces by fans is heated and rises 
to a chamber over the battery, where individual sheet-metal ducts carry this 
warm air to each room and corridor. This system maintains a more uniform 
heat distribution throughout the entire building. With this arrangement it is 
possible to put in or take out of service any furnace. 

In either system the same style of furnace has been used. These furnaces 
were originally designed to burn large-size anthracite coal and they are not well 
suited to the cheaper run-of-mine bituminous coal now used. Larger combustion 
chambers are needed for smokeless combustion of such coal, and grate bars 
with smaller air openings ore more suitable. 

At many buildings insufficient furnace drafts have been reported. This diffi¬ 
culty may be due to the change from anthracite to bituminous coal, the latter 
giving off quickly at times large volumes of gases. In some cases the stack 
does not extend above surrounding roofs, a condition which always adversely 
affects the drafts. 

In all cases the smoke pipes from the furnace to the stack are long, hori¬ 
zontal, and contain several bends, creating resistance to the flow of gases. 
Furthermore, they are generally not insulated, which tends to cool the gases, 
thereby lowering the draft. The design can not be said to be good. 

From such records as are available for fuel consumption a saving of approxi¬ 
mately 16 per cent of the fuel is made when steam heat replaces the warm-air 
heat in the general type of eight-room buildings now served by warm air. 
Records of maintenance on these warm-air furnace equipments show a range 
from about $10 to $100 per furnace per year over a five-year period. 

Where stoves are installed in the classrooms for heating they must, of course, 
render satisfactory service in severe weather. This necessitates that they 
operate during the greater part of the heating season under partial load, which 
gives them a low operating efficiency. They can only be attended before and 
after school hours and at recess periods. On this account a slow-burning fuel, 
namely, anthracite, must be used. This means the use of a high-priced fuel. 
The result is a high operating cost for fuel per room heated. 

All schools use run-of-mine bituminous coal for heating except seven, and 
those are heated by stoves. 

(C) Coal and Ash Handling Arrangements 

The arrangements for handling the coal and ashes are in general of a low 
modern standard. This is particularly true of all buildings designed prior to 
1908. However, in many buildings of modern design, sufficient weight has not 
been given apparently to this subject. 

At the older buildings, the coal is stored either in the basement or in an 
adjacent underground storage space. In general, these spaces are not con¬ 
veniently located or properly reinforced to allow direct dumping from the 
trucks. The coal delivered to these buildings is usually dumped at the curb 
or in the alley. If the building is erected on a terrace, the coal is carried 
to storage; otherwise, it is wheeled. Where basement storages are pro¬ 
vided, the coal is dumped through or in front of windows and shoveled back. 
At the underground storage spaces it is dumped through manholes and 
shoveled back. These services are rendered by the Government fuel yards. 

Many of the storages are not adjacent to the boiler rooms and the fireman 
must wheel the coal across the open basement to the fires. This is prohibited 
by a few* principals during school hours. 

‘ The removal of coal from the underground storages is laborious at most 
buildings. All spaces are low in head room which makes it necessary for the 
firemen to stand in a stooped position while entering and remaining in them. 


190 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


Their floor levels are usually below the basement-floor levels. This requires 
runways or ramps which are either made of plank laid within the storage 
or of concrete built into the basement floor running downward to the storage 
level. The former arrangement gives such low entrance doors that the fire¬ 
men do not have sufficient head room while wheeling coal up the runways 
and into the basements. The ramp arrangement is a hazard to the children 
who may be in the room. 

At the newer buildings, the storages are arranged for direct truck dumping 
either through manholes to underground storage or through chutes to basement 
storage. However, at many buildings the trucks can not always get to the 
manholes, no proper drives having been provided. The trucks can not cross 
the unprepared ground except when it is dry or frozen, and in some instances 
the principals will not permit them to cross the school yard at any time. This 
again necessitates street or alley dumping of the coal and wheeling to storage, 
which materially increases the delivery cost. In these newer buildings the 
storages have been located adjacent to the isolated boiler rooms. The dust and 
dirt common to wheeling from storage to the fires in these cases does not enter 
the rest of the building. In several buildings the shoveling of coal into storage 
is difficult as sufficient room for an operator to work has not been provided. 

For supplementary information relative to this subject attention is called to 
two extensive and detailed reports prepared by the Government fuel yards and 
forwarded to the chief coordinator’s office of the Bureau of the Budget. 

Ashes are usually wheeled from the furnace to the ash storage located either 
in the basement, in an underground storage space, or in the open yard. When 
the furnace is not located in an isolated room the transporting of ashes is 
through the open basement. Where isolated boiler rooms have been provided, 
the ash storage is generally located adjacent to them. 

At the older buildings, little consideration has been given to the convenient 
removal of ash from storage and this is frequently quite laborious. If the 
basement storages have windows, they are small. The ashes are either shov¬ 
eled or hoisted in buckets through them to the ground level. If there are no 
windows, the ashes are carried in suitable containers through the basement and 
up the stairs. They are then either wheeled or carried to trucks at the curb 
or in the alley. 

The underground storages are usually equipped with small-diameter man¬ 
holes up through which the ashes must be shoveled or elevated in buckets for 
removal. They are then shoveled or dumped into wheelbarrows or larger con¬ 
tainers and taken to the trucks. These storages are smaller than those used 
for coal and are also of low headroom, which makes working in them difficult. 

Where outside storages are provided they consist of small buildings or open 
bins, and are usually placed in the most out-of-the-way corner of the yard. 
Owing to the basement arrangements, it is frequently necessary to carry the 
ashes to them rather than use a wheelbarrow. Generally they are located 
on or near an alley, but where not. the distance over which the ashes must 
be transported for final removal is great. The building sidewalks are used for 
this transporting, which give an added opportunity for dust to enter the build¬ 
ing if removed on school days. Where alley entrances are available many of 
the openings provided for this removal are of insufficient size, thereby causing 
much ground spillage that must be rehandled. 

At most of rhe newer buildings the ashes are wheeled from the furnaces 
to storages adjacent to the boiler rooms. These storages are at least partially 
underground, which allows for overhead trapdoors. The ashes are removed 
in large containers and dumped into trucks, being raised to the surface by a 
portable hoist placed over the trapdoor opening. Although a number of these 
buildings are not provided with proper drives, the ash storages are usually of 
ample size to permit removal in weather that will allow the trucks to reach 
them, provided they are not barred from the school yard bv the principal 
In certain buildings a narrow firing pit, from 3 to 5 feet deep, is used. 
The fireman must work in a very limited space that permits of little coal 
storing and no ash accumulation. This greatly increases the general difficulties 
of handling both coal and ashes. 

At the recently designed McKinley Technical High School, one of the largest 
of the present school plants, the coal and ash handling has been given careful 
and satisfactory consideration. 


191 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

(D) The General Design of the Ventilating Systems 

There are many schemes of ventilation used in the public schools. They 
include various combinations of air inlet and outlet. Fresh air is admitted to 
the class rooms through open windows, or small grills located behind specially 
designed radiators, or air registers which are located in inside walls either at 
the floor or about 8 feet above the floor. Foul air is removed through open 
windows, or through small grills at the floor under each window, or through 
large grills located in an inside wall at the floor. 

Open-window ventilation is relied upon in some of the permanent buildings, 
which include the two health schools, and also all portable buildings. It is 
very desirable to have the windows in these buildings equipped with battles 
mounted on the sills at such an angle as to deflect the fresh air upward into the 
rooms, thereby tending to prevent direct drafts. In many instances these have 
been provided. The personal equation is the governing factor in the satisfac¬ 
tory operation of such a scheme, for it is the teacher who controls it and regu¬ 
lates it according to his or her physical condition or mental conception of 
proper ventilation. 

The admission of fresh air through grills located under the windows back of 
the radiators is a modification of the open-window scheme. These fresh-air 
inlets are equipped with louvered dampers, which are either hand controlled or 
thermostatically controlled from the room temperature. The radiators are 
specially designed to battle the air, thereby tending to prevent direct drafts. 
Where the hand-controlled dampers are installed the personal equation again 
governs the effectiveness of the system. Where the dampers are themostati- 
cally controlled, the classroom ventilation immediately becomes subordinated 
to the heating system, which condition may prove detrimental to good health. 
For instance, should the room temperature be below normal and the room fully 
occupied, the thermostats keep these dampers closed or only partially opened, 
and the full amount of air intended for each occupant is not always supplied. 

Where fresh air is admitted through grills in an inside wall it is always 
preheated before entering the room. This scheme is used in all warm air 
heated buildings and many heated with steam radiators. 

Of the warm air heated buildings, only a few of the oldest schools have these 
grills located at the floor level. In all of these cases portable screens are 
placed in front of the grill to change the direction of the entering air. The 
other buildings have these registers located about 8 feet above the floor, making 
the use of baffles unnecessary. Where fresh warm air is serving the dual 
purpose of heating and ventilating, the quantity necessary to heat the building 
normally exceeds that required for ventilation. 

Most of the buildings heated with steam radiators, which receive preheated 
fresh air in this manner, have their inlet grills located about 8 feet above 
the floor. The quantity of air supplied is based upon the current practice 
of the heating and ventilating engineers at the time the equipment was 
installed. The special advantage of this system is that it can be operated 
independently of the heating system, thereby insuring proper ventilation at 
all times. 

In most of these preheated air installations the circulation is mechanically 
forced by fans. 

The removal of foul air through small grills under the windows will only be 
found in some of the older buildings. It is not effective and the teaching 
staff frequently resort to opening windows.. Where these buildings are heated 
with warm air this practice of opening windows tends to short-circuit the 
heating systems. These buildings are gradually being remodeled with steam¬ 
heating systems and improved ventilation. 

The majority of buildings are equipped with foul-air grills located in an 
inside wall at the floor. They discharge into brick chimneys or sheet-metal 
ducts. Only some of the older buildings have the brick chimneys, which in 
each case discharge above the roof. The sheet-metal ducts discharge (a) into 
the attic, (b) into attic trunk lines, or (c) direct to roof ventilators. 

When the foul air is discharged directly into the attic, a ventilator is 
installed on the roof, or some other means for its escape is provided. This 
method does not work out well in practice and causes many complaints. It is 
no longer being installed. 


192 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

The attic trunk lines collect the foul air from all the classrooms and dis¬ 
charge it into a small room in the attic over which there is a roof ventilator 
of louvered cupola. Many buildings have fans in these attic rooms to insure 
proper removal of the foul air. All of the newer buildings and many that 
have been remodeled are equipped with these attic trunk lines or have the 
foul-air ducts connected direct to the roof ventilators. Either arrangement 
apparently gives satisfaction. 

A number of installations have auxiliary exhaust grills located about S feet 
above the floor and directly over the floor exhaust grills. These discharge 
into a common exhaust duct. They are intended to be used only in the non¬ 
heating season to help remove the warm air from the ceiling. 

There is a difference of opinion among heating and ventilating engineers as 
to the proper design and installation of ventilating equipment. This accounts 
for the variety of schemes used in the public schools. The rooms which report 
the most satisfactory ventilation are those which use open windows for air 
inlet and those which use preheated air having the following design. Both 
the inlet and outlet grills are in the same inside wall. This wall always 
faces the windows. The inlet grill is about 8 feet above the floor and the 
outlet grill is at the floor. For rooms that have one entrance door, the inlet 
grill is located in the corner farthest from it and the outlet grill in the corner 
nearest to the door. For rooms that have two entrance doors, the inlet grill 
is either between them or in one corner and the outlet grill is near the door 
farthest from the inlet grill. With either arrangement the exhaust grills are 
connected through sheet-metal ducts direct to roof ventilators or into attic 
trunk lines which are equipped with suction fans. 

The rooms which report the most unsatisfactory ventilation have the inlet 
and exhaust grills close together. This is most pronounced in the warm-air 
heated buildings which complain also of insufficient heat. 

A new arrangement for the removal of foul air from the classrooms is being 
installed in several of the buildings now under construction. The cloakrooms 
are partitioned off from the classrooms. In this partition wall at the floor are 
a series of small grills. In the ceiling of the cloakroom there is a large grill 
which is connected to the exhaust system. The foul air of the classroom is 
drawn through these small floor grills to the cloakroom where it raises to enter 
the exhaust system through the ceiling grill. As none of these buildings was 
commissioned for service at the time this report was prepared, the effectiveness 
of this system can not be reported. 

The toilet ventilation in all buildings is through separate isolated systems. 
The foul air is removed by gravity, which in many buildings is augmented by 
burning gas in the flues or ducts, or by suction fans installed in the attics. 
Fresh air is usually admitted to these rooms through opened windows. All 
inside toilets are equipped with skylights and some means for the removal of 
the foul air so as to prevent its entering the building proper. 

(E) The General Condition of the Heating and Ventilating Equipment 

The general condition of the heating and ventilating equipment may be con¬ 
sidered in general as satisfactory. 

At the present time there is apparently no thorough inspection made of the 
buildings other than by the principal in charge. Each year he reports the con¬ 
dition of his building by listing the repairs and alterations desired. The prin¬ 
cipal not always being familiar with the mechanical equipment installed in his 
building, these repairs are itemized by the janitor who has seldom included any¬ 
thing but the heating equipment which is exposed and easily seen. This leaves 
much of the equipment, which is partially concealed in the building, the attic, 
and on the roof uninspected and not reported. 

Because of this lack of inspection the following conditions were found: 

(1) Exhaust ducts from the toilets and classrooms have become damaged, 
their seams ripped open, and their effectiveness seriously impaired. 

(2) Brick chimneys are in need of reconditioning, the bricks need repointing, 
the capstones reset, and in some instances their tops rebuilt. 

(3) Steel stacks built into the brick chimneys have rusted away in places, 
leaving them materially weakened. 

(4) Sheet-metal hoods placed over the tops of the chimneys or ventilator 
stacks are badly rusted and need replacement. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 193 


(5) Roof ventilators damaged by storms are in need of repair. 

(6) Control chains to the attic dampers in the exhaust ducts are either 
broken off or shortened, so as to make their operation ineffective or laborious. 

(7) Outside wall grills, back of the radiators, have rusted away and where 
the radiator baffles have been removed or damaged, direct drafts into the class¬ 
rooms occur. 

(8) Thermostats which control the louvered grills back of the radiators stick 
and fail to render proper service. 

(9) Insulation used to cover the boilers, smoke pipes, or breechings, and steam 
pipes is badly cracked or broken out of place and lost. 

Although these conditions are not common to all buildings, nor all found in 
any one building, they are sufficiently important to be reported for correction. 

The gas engines which drive the ventilating fans are always reconditioned 
whenever reported, but on account of their age, they are frequently difficult to 
start or operate. 

Steel boilers are the only part of the equipment that do not come under 
the above plan of inspection. As the law requires that such boilers be inspected 
annually, the District repair shop is assigned the duty of preparing them for 
this inspection. This preparation includes all reconditioning and repairing. 
No order from the principal is necessary for this service. 

(F) The Operating Personnel 

It is evident from section E of this report that the efficiency, as a whole, of 
the operating personnel is not of the highest standard. This should not be 
charged against the operators so much as charged against the administrative 
staff for the following reasons: 

The operating staff has not been properly instructed with reference to the 
equipment furnished, its intended use, operation, or maintenance. All instruc¬ 
tions are issued orally by one assigned to that duty from the public schools, 
department of administration, or the fireman who is being relieved from duty. 
These instructions are frequently poorly explained, some parts omitted and are 
seldom repeated. The result is that much is forgotten and after several 
changes in personnel the new man is thrown onto his own resources, which are 
frequently meager. 

There is no uniformity of operating practice in similar boiler rooms or build¬ 
ings. This shows that there is no coordination of ideas leading to improved 
methods of operation. 

No building that was reported hard to heat hasi apparently been thoroughly 
investigated to locate the causes, which in many cases have been found cor¬ 
rectable at comparatively small cost. 

The principals having jurisdiction over the buildings are sometimes unfair in 
their demands, by requiring too much janitorial service when the warmth of 
the building is paramount, or by issuing orders that are laborious and difficult 
to fulfill. 

On the other hand, there is almost a universal complaint made by the opera¬ 
tors in the buildings having hand-fired furnaces about the kind of fuel supplied, 
i. e.. run-of-mine bituminous, their objections being that it is hard to handle 
under their conditions and the fires do not respond to forcing. This is a com¬ 
mon attitude of both fireman and management to expect to cure troubles by 
adding to the cost of fuel rather than to use more care and give more attention. 

Inasmuch as tne coal supplied comes from the best coal fields in the United 
States, and is a high-grade coal, it would seem reasonable to expect that a fire¬ 
man should be able to use such coal effectively. Where his difficulties are due 
to poor equipment, his complaints should be specific and not general. 

The run-of-mine coal from these fields contains a large per cent of fine or 
small coal. The firemen prefer lump coal, as it requires much less skill to use 
and larger charges can be put in at one time, allowing longer periods between 
firings. Such coal has no greater heating value than the run-of-mine and its 
greatly increased cost is prohibitive. 

It is interesting to note the general response of the operators and their 
willingness to cooperate on any suggestion that would improve their condi¬ 
tions. This shows that if constructive relationships existed between the ad¬ 
ministrative and operative staffs many of these conditions could be rectified. 


194 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


(G) The General Safety 

The heating equipment in most schools is well safeguarded to protect the 
occupants of the buildings. The buildings originally warm air heated, whether 
remodeled with steam heat or not, are the only ones in which emergency 
exits from the furnace or boiler rooms have not been provided. Where high- 
pressure plants are installed each boiler is reconditioned and thoroughly in¬ 
spected annually to obtain safe operation. 

Several of the large buildings have small vertical high-pressure boilers. 
These boilers as before explained receive their water from the city mains 
through hand-controlled valves, and therefore can only be operated at pres¬ 
sures below that maintained in these mains. If for any reason, the boiler 
pressure becomes higher, or the city water pressure fails, immediate action 
must be taken to prevent injury to life or equipment. To operate these 
boilers safely, it is necessary to assign one employee to them, whose services 
can not be used elsewhere. This increases the personnel, cost of service, and 
accident hazard. 

It is unsafe to enter the attics of a number of these buildings, as they are not 
floored or provided with suitable walkways properly protected with guard rails. 
A false step from a rafter edge would cause one to fall through the ceiling to 
the floor below or drop more than 30 feet into open brick-lined shafts between 
partition walls which are closed at the bottom. 

There was extensive seepage of water into the east fresh-air plenum chamber 
at the Stuart Junior High School which, having no outlet, soon became stag¬ 
nant. The odors arising from this water diffuse with the preheated fresh air 
and enter the class rooms. Efforts have been made to properly drain this 
water so as not to allow its entrance to the plenum chamber. 

The school desks permanently fastened to the floors have, in several in¬ 
stances, been found to be as close as 17 inches from the radiators. The medical 
officers suggest that the minimum distance should be 24 inches. 

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS 

1. In remodeling the warm-air heated buildings to steam heat and improved 
ventilation, preference should be given, first, to the buildings having gravity 
circulation, and second, to the buildings not having isolated furnace rooms. 

2. The buildings which resort to open-window ventilation should be equipped 
with window-sill baffles. 

3. Buildings equipped with wood-frame windows which are not weather- 
stripped should be inspected for excessive infiltration of cold air. Where 
weather stripping is needed it should be metallic and not felt. 

4. All furniture fastened to the class room floors should be located with refer¬ 
ence to the radiators as recommended by the medical authorities. 

5. All openings in the attics should be protected with guard rails to prevent 
accidents. 

6. All attics should be provided with electrical illumination and those un¬ 
floored should be equipped with foot walks, protected with guard rails leading 
from the attic entrance to installed equipment. 

7. The harboring or breeding of pigeons or other fowl in the attics should 
be prohibited. 

8. All chimney tops should be at least 2 feet above surrounding roofs. 

9. Careful individual consideration should be given to the replacement with 
electric motors of the many gas engines now used to operate fans. 

10. Attention should be given to improving many of the present coal-handling 
arrangements, and no changes, alterations, or new construction should be made 
without the cooperation of the Bureau of Mines as recommended by the Chief 
Coordinator of the Bureau of the Budget. 

11. The restricted firing pits should be enlarged in so far as possible. 

12. All new building design which calls for coal storages under the buildings 
should allow ample room for an operator to efficiently put the coal into 
storage. 

13. The buildings now being supplied with anthracite coal should be inves¬ 
tigated to determine whether bituminous coal can be used as effectively. 

14. Any complaint relative to the quality of coal delivered to any school 
should be reported to the Bureau of Mines through the supervisor of firemen 
in time to permit this bureau to inspect and sample the coal in question. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 195 

15. A training school should be established for the janitors and firemen to 
better instruct them in their duties. 

16. A circular should be compiled and issued to each of the firing personnel 
and the principal at each building, which describes in detail the mechanical 
and electrical equipment installed, with definite instructions as to how and 
by whom it is to be operated, adjusted, or repaired. 

17. The vertical steel boilers used to supply steam to the cafeterias for 
cooking and domestic hot-water heaters, being liigli-pressure boilers, should be 
equipped to receive water throughout their entire range of working pressures. 

18. Where schools are to be erected on sites adjoining present schools, or 
where schools of considerable capacity are contemplated, there should be given 
more consideration, than has apparently been given in the past, to the installa¬ 
tion of central heating plants and also to the production of the electrical needs 
from prime movers using steam exhausting to the heating system. This latter 
arrangement offers possibilities of savings under certain load conditions. The 
new McKinley Technical High School is an outstanding case where proper con¬ 
sideration was not given to the possibilities of producing electricity. 

19. Where there is contemplated fuel-burning plants of considerable capacity 
or plants having special features involving the proper choice of fuel, there 
should be cooperation with the Bureau of Mines on these projects as recom¬ 
mended by the Chief Coordinator of the Bureau of the Budget. 

20. There should be closer cooperation between the designers and the opera¬ 
tors and in general more accent should be given to efficient equipment. 

21. More frequent and more thorough inspections should be made of the 
various items of equipment in order that it may be maintained in good 
•condition. 

Respectfully submitted. 

James H. Platt, Associate Engineer. 

Approved: 

J. F. Babkley. Fuel Engineer. 

December 6, 1927. 


APPENDIX D 


REPORT OF A SURVEY OF CONDITIONS AFFECTING HEALTH AND 
SAFETY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE DISTRICT OF 

COLUMBIA 

[Prepared by the offices of Child Hygiene and Industrial Hygiene Investigations of the 

United States Public Health Service 1 ] 

The purpose of the survey of the public schools of the District of Columbia is 
to show the actual conditions of the schools from the viewpoint of certain 
hygienic standards. There are recognized fundamental requirements of a school, 
and these will be presented before taking up the individual problems in the 
District. 

Requirements 

SITE REQUIREMENTS 

Before planning a building, the site is first chosen. This is very important 
for the future of a school and requires careful and serious consideration. 

Sufficient area for the school building and playground are the main require¬ 
ments. The recommended number of square feet of playground per child is 50. 
We must remember that the playground is the only safe play place for a child 
in these days of automobile danger. The school playground may well be the 
general playground for play after hours and on Saturdays. 

The site must be accessible to the children. It should not be too near noise 
nuisances, as railroads and factories. The school building should not have 
obstruction to light from adjacent buildings or trees, and ample space is 
necessary to prevent this. 

The ground should be well drained and a sufficient area should be hard¬ 
surfaced for play in wet weather. 

The playground should be equipped with play apparatus. 

These requirements are simple and yet many of the District schools lament¬ 
ably lack all of them. 


THE SCHOOL BUILDING 

The school building should meet certain requirements. Its architecture should 
be attractive. It should be fireproof and be well heated and lighted, and the 
classrooms so arranged as to receive the maximum of natural light. The build¬ 
ing should be set apart so as not to have obstruction from trees and buildings. 

HEATING 

The heating of the building is one of the most important features. The build¬ 
ings of the District are heated by one of five methods: 

1. Stoves. 

2. Hot-air furnace. 

3. Hot-air furnace with fan. 

4. Steam heat direct. 

5. Steam heat direct and indirect. 

Steam heat direct with window ventilation and gravity exhaust has not 
received the attention here that it merits. Stoves are still used in the portable 
schools and in one permanent structure. The hot-air furnace has many faults, 
but some of these may be overcome if properly regulated. This will be taken 
up later in this report. 

Each school room should be provided with a standard thermometer which 
should be properly placed. 


1 Data regarding building facilities for the purpose of this report were gathered by 
representatives of the Bureau of Efficiency on questionnaires prepared by the Public 
Health Service. 

196 



PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA 


197 


TOILETS 

Toilets should be separate for boys and girls and the entrance should be 
as far apart as possible. There is no question that the old basement or cellar 
type of toilet should be abandoned. There should be a minimum of one toilet 
seat to 25 boys and one urinal to every 15 boys, and one toilet seat to 15 girls. 
Toilets should be well ventilated and have exposure to sunlight if possible. 

WATER SUPPLY 

The water supply in the District is excellent and there should be no reason 
for inadequate drinking facilities in every school in the District. There should 
be a fountain to every 50 children. The drinking fountain should be of the 
sanitary type where the stream curves from the side of the fountain so that 
the child’s mouth can not come in contact with the bubbler. 

Drinking fountains should be conveniently located and preferably arranged 
in a “ battery ” so that large groups of children can drink during the recess 
periods. 

LAVATORIES 

Washing facilities should be provided and at least be equal to those found in 
the moderate home. (This is rare, indeed, in our schools.) Hot and cold water 
should always be provided. There should be one washbowl to every 25 children. 
Liquid soap and paper towels are a necessity. 

If fundamental health habits are to be taught to children, these conveniences 
are necessary. It is important to note how few District schools are so 
equipped. 

REST ROOMS, ETC. 

Each school building should be provided with a teachers’ room, medical 
examination room, janitor’s room, and ample storeroom. 

THE SURVEY 

Each school building in the District was visited and inspected in detail. 
These individual reports are available so that information on a certain school 
building is readily accessible to anyone interested. 

PLAYGROUNDS 

The first summary is that on the playground area of 139 schools. Of these 
123 were grade schools, 7 junior high schools, 2 and 9 high schools. 3 It is evident 
that the elementary school children need ample space for active playing as this 
is the time of life when running play is part of the nature of the child. As 
said before, 50 square feet playground area is the minimum to be considered 
and more is to be preferred. 

Of the 123 grade schools, 88 of them have less than 50 square feet per pupil. 
Of these 88 schools, 24 have less than 20 square feet of playground per child. 
Forty-one grade schools answer the standard requirements. Of the 7 junior 
high schools, 4 of them have less than 50 square feet per pupil. Of the 9 
high schools, G of them have less than the minimum of 50 square feet per 
pupil. Seventy per cent of the schools of the District have less than the 
minimum standard of playground area. 

HEATING AND VENTILATION 

The next important features of a school to be considered are the heating and 
ventilation. Fifty-two schools are still heated with hot air. Special recom¬ 
mendations on the regulation of the heat and ventilation of a building using 
this type of furnace are submitted. 

Three schools were selected for special study of temperature and ventila¬ 
tion. These schools constituted the three main types of heating. Assistant 
Physical Chemist Bloomfield made the following report. This is given in 
detail because heating and ventilation of a school building are two of the three 
most important features of a school. 


* Playground data was lacking on three junior high schools. 

3 Includes the two normal schools. 



198 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


The three schools chosen for this study, the Grant, Weightman, and Francis 
Junior High, were considered as representative of the main types of schools 
in the District. A number of rooms were selected as being representative of 
the building and certain ventilation observations were made in these rooms 
in order to obtain a picture of the conditions being maintained in the building. 
These observations consisted of dry and wet bulb temperatures, heat loss as 
indicated by the dry and wet Kata thermometers, air motion, type of ventila¬ 
tion in use, number of windows open, sense of comfort and any additional in¬ 
formation which might prove of value. 

The Grant School is one of the old-fashioned brick structures heated by 
indirect and direct methods. Heated air enters the room through a rectangular 
duct, 6 square feet in area, located near the ceiling. Air is removed from these 
rooms through natural means, such as windows of the old-fashioned sash type, 
and doors, as well as through two rectangular openings, connected to an exhaust 
fan. These openings are each 1% square feet in area and are located on the 
same side of the room as the incoming air duct, but at floor level. Steam- 
heat radiators in some of the rooms supply direct heating in addition to the 
hot-air system. Three rooms were visited in this school and the chief im¬ 
pression gained by the writer was that these rooms suffer to a considerable 
extent from overheating. In all the rooms the air seemed stale and a sense 
of discomfort was experienced during the entire time spent in this school. 
The results of the observations made in this school are summarized in Table 1. 
This table presents the average conditions found in the schoolrooms with 
reference to the temperature and cooling power of the air, the main factors to 
be considered in ventilation. It is quite obvious that at an average tempera¬ 
ture of 76° F. and with the air quite dry (31 per cent relative humidity), a 
state of affairs exists that is far from being conducive to comfort and health. 
That the air in these rooms is not favorable to comfort is substantiated by the 
Kata thermometer observations shown in Table 1. Before discussing the results 
of the Kata thermometer readings it seems appropriate at this point to deal 
somewhat briefly with the factors influencing bodily comfort. 

Table 1. —Showing average temperature and cooling power of air of classrooms 

in relation to type of heating 




Num- 

Average tempera¬ 
ture, ° F. 

Average 

cooling 

power 

Aver¬ 

age 

cool¬ 

ing 

due 

to 

evap¬ 

ora¬ 

tion 

Aver¬ 

age 


Name of 
school 

Type of heat¬ 
ing 

ber 

of 

rooms 

exam¬ 

ined 

Dry- 

bulb 

Wet 

bulb 

Per 

cent 

rela¬ 

tive 

hu¬ 

mid¬ 

ity 

Dry 

kata 

Wet 

kata 

air 

ve¬ 

locity 

(feet 

per 

min¬ 

ute) 

Remarks 

Grant. 

Indirect and 
direct. 

3 

76 

58 

31 

3.9 

17.8 

13.9 

19 

Room air exhausted 
through 2 ducts at 
floor level. 

Weightman... 

Indirect. 

3 

76 

58 

30 

4.2 

16.8 

12.6 

29 

Room air exhausted 
through 6 small out¬ 
lets at floor level. 

Francis Junior 
High. 

Direct and 
indirect. 

2 

69 

53 

31 

5.6 

22.9 

17.3 

30 

Room air may be ex¬ 
hausted through 1 
outlet at floor level. 


The wet and dry bulb thermometers fail to give a complete indention of the 
qualities of the air which affect the bodily comfort of the occupants of a room. 
Thus, the temperature and humidity of still and moving air may be the same, 
but the cooling power will be very different in the two cases. A person who 
may be extremely warm on a hot day in summer can gain some relief by a 
ride in an automobile or open trolley car. 

The bodily comfort of individuals is partly dependent upon the relations 
between the rates of heat production and heat loss, for if the former is in 
excess, discomfort is caused by the resulting accumulation of heat. The human 
body may lose heat by the processes of convection, radiation, and evaporation. 
Normally, the first two processes are largely responsible for the maintenance 





















PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


199 


of equilibrium between beat produced and heat lost, but under unfavorable 
atmospheric conditions the mechanism subserving the last process is frequently 
brought into play in the form of sweating, whereby a cooling effect is pro¬ 
duced by the evaporation of superficial moisture. 

The cooling power of the air is conveniently determined by the kata ther¬ 
mometer, a special form of thermometer so designed as to enable the time 
required for it to fall from one temperature to another to be accurately 
observed. From the time so required the rate of cooling of the bulb per unit 
area per second can be calculated by the use of a simple factor (the kata 
factor depending on the size and shape of the bulb), and this, in turn, gives a 
direct indication of the cooling power of the surrounding air. By suitable 
adjustment of conditions the instrument can be made to measure its own rate 
of cooling (and accordingly the cooling power of the air) when its temperature 
approximates that of the human body. Under such conditions the rate of 
cooling of the kata thermometer gives an approximate indication of the rate 
at which the exposed surface of the human body loses heat. When the instru¬ 
ment is used as a dry bulb it indicates the rate of heat loss due to the processes 
of radiation and convection (analogous to the state of the body when there is 
no visible perspiration) and when used as a wet bulb it measures in addition 
the rate of heat loss due to evaporation (similar to conditions when the body 
is visibly perspiring.) 

The cooling power of the air as measured by the dry kata depends upon (1) 
the difference in temperature between the thermometer and the surrounding 
air and (2) the rate of air movement or air velocity. The cooling power of 
the air as measured by the wet kata is a function not only of the temperature 
and air velocity but also of the difference between the vapor pressure of the 
air saturated at body temperature (97.7° F.) and that of the air at the observed 
temperature. 

According to Dr. Leonard Hill, the inventor of the kata thermometer, the 
minimum cooling powers required for the comfort of those engaged in sedentary 
occupatiton are 6 for the dry kata and 18 for the wet. 

Examination of Table 1 for cooling power of the air of the three rooms 
investigated at the Grant School shows that the dry kata cooling power (aver¬ 
age 3.9) is far below the standard just quoted. The wet kata readings approach 
the ideal closely, but this fact is not due to air motion, since the average air 
velocity in these rooms was only 19 feet per minute. The high wet kata read¬ 
ings are a result of evaporation only, since the air in the room was found to 
be very dry (31 per cent R. H.). and as stated earlier the wet kata is also a 
function' of the difference between the vapor pressure of the air saturated at 
body heat (97.7° F.) and that at the air temperature (in this case 76° F.). 
At this air temperature (76° F.) the dry kata only is the important indicator 
of bodily comfort. 

Although all the rooms visited were found to be too hot, only one room had a 
few open windows, and these were open from the top. It seems that the pupils 
prefer to be in a hot, stuffy room rather than be subjected to cold drafts caused 
by opening the windows. All the rooms were found to be equipped with ther¬ 
mometers. which on checking with a standard instrument showed them all to 
be several degrees lower than the correct reading. This fact may be one of the 
reasons why the rooms are maintained at such high temperatures. 

The next school visited was the Weightman, which is practically of the same 
structure as the Grant School, but is heated by the indirect method entirely. 
Heated air enters each room through a rectangular duct, 2% square feet in 
area, located near the entrance door of the room and at floor level. Six long 
and narrow grilled openings at floor level exhaust some of the room air, the 
rest finding its way out by natural means through windows and doors. The 
windows in these rooms are also of the old-fashioned sash type, and of the 
three rooms visited the first day only one had its windows partly open. 

Three rooms were studied in this school, and the same conditions with refer¬ 
ence to temperature and cooling power of the air were noted in this case as 
in that of the Grant School. The room air was found to be hot (76° F.) and 
dry (30 per cent R. H.), and with a low cooling power (4.2 dry kata). Very 
little air movement was noted, the average air velocity being 29 feet per 
minute. 

The last school visited was the Francis Junior High, housed in a modern 
brick structure. This school offers conditions directly in contrast to the first 
two schools just described. Heating of rooms is obtained by direct radiation 
and can be supplemented in extremely cold weather by an indirect system, 


200 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


since provision has been made for blowing heated air through ducts located at 
ceiling height and for exhausting room air by means of another duct placed 
at floor level. This system may be used as a means of ventilation during warm 
weather also, by forcing air through the inlet duct, although window ventilation 
is the only means then used for maintaining comfortable conditions. The 
radiators in the rooms of this school are underneath the windows, the latter 
being of the (Austral) swing type, so arranged that when open they incline 
at an angle and make a natural deflector. 

The two rooms inspected in this school were found to be quite comfortable, 
the air seemingly fresh and cool. The results of the observations corroborate 
the subjective feeling created by the air in these rooms, the temperature aver¬ 
aging 69° F. and the dry kata yielding 5.6 as a cooling power, showing that 
conditions in this school with respect to ventilation approach the ideal very 
closely. It was noted that one of the rooms visited was aired out by opening 
all the windows prior to its occupancy by a new class. The teachers in this 
school resort to this practice frequently, a condition not noted in the first two 
schools visited. In these latter schools the windows were not opened even 
when all the pupils were outdoors during the recess period. It is urgently 
recommended at this time that rooms be aired by opening all windows when¬ 
ever rooms are not occupied, thus insuring a complete change of air, so neces¬ 
sary for bodily comfort and efficiency. 

As a result of the first day’s observations it was decided to attempt main¬ 
taining more comfortable conditions in one of the rooms found uncomfortable 
by resorting to window ventilation, a close watch on the thermometer and on 
the heating system. Accordingly, room 4A-B of the Weightman School was 
chosen for this experiment, this room being representative of the rooms in 
this building. Table 2 below presents the results of the experiment conducted 
in this room on November 20, 1927. 


Table 2. —Shouting variations in temperature and cooling power of air in 

room If A-B, Weightman School 




Temperature 0 F. 

Cooling power 

Cool¬ 
ing 
due to 
evapo¬ 
ration 

Air 

veloc¬ 

ity 

Point of observation 

Time of 
observation 

Dry 

bulb 

Wet 

bulb 

Per 
cent 
R. H. 

Dry 

kata 

Wet 

kata 

Rear of room.. 

10.10 a. m. 

77.0 

58.0 

29 

3.8 

16.6 

12.8 

Feel 

per 

minute 

20 

Front of room.-.. 

10.15 a. m. 

81.0 

59.0 

24 

3.9 

16.4 

12.5 

59 

Do... 

10.40 a. m. 

75.5 

57.0 

29 

4.7 

20.0 

15.3 

41 

Rear of room... 

10.45 a. m. 

76.0 

56.5 

27 

5.4 

18. 7 

13.3 

74 

Do__ 

11.30 a. m. 

72. 0 

55. 5 

33 

4. 9 

17. 9 

13. 0 

25 

Front of room.. 

11.35 a. m. 

72.5 

55.5 

31 

5.1 

17.5 

12.4 

33 

Do... 

11.42 a. m. 

71.0 

55.0 

33 

4.9 

17.0 

12.1 

21 

Rear of room.. 

11.49 a. m. 

70.5 

55.0 

34 

5. 2 

18. 3 

13.1 

26 

Front of room... 

1.30 p. m. 
1.36 p. m. 
1.45 p. m. 

71.0 

55.0 

33 

4. 6 

17. 6 

13.0 

15 

Rear of room... 

71.0 

55.0 

33 

4. 6 

17.0 

12. 4 

15 

Front of room.. 

72.0 

56.0 

34 

4. 5 

17.2 

12.7 

16 



Remarks .—Windows closed. Hot air at temperature of 124° F. entering room through register at floor 
level. At 10.27 teacher turned heat partly of)' and opened two rear windows 6 inches from top. At 11.15 
windows were closed at top, and one side with two rear windows were opened from bottom. Beaver 
board deflectors were put in place to avoid drafts. Pupils voted room very comfortable rest of day. 

Examination of this table shows that with the windows closed and hot air 
entering through the duct at a fairly high velocity a temperature of 77° F. was 
noted at the rear of the room and one of 81° F. at the front. This higher 
temperature at the front of the room is, no doubt, due to the location of the 
hot-air duct at this point. The cooling power, as noted by the dry kata, was 
3.8 and 3.9, with a slightly higher air velocity at the front of the room than at 
the rear (59 as to 20 feet per minute), also probably due to the position of the 
incoming air duct. The conditions noted above as to temperature and cooling 
power are indeed uncomfortable and conducive to ill health and a lowering of 
efficiency. (On this latter point Dr. Leonard Hill, the eminent physiologist, 
states that in a warm room the tissues of the nose and throat are normally 






























PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


201 


swollen and moist and full of blood. When passing to the cold outdoor air 
these tissues become compact and dry and their blood vessels contract. In 
persons habitually exposed to a high room temperature, however, this normal 
adaptive response fails. The blood vessels always contract but the tissues 
remain swollen and moist, and such a condition furnishes ideal opportunities for 
the invasion of the germs of respiratory disease.) 

From this observation it is quite obvious that conditions in room 4A-B at 
the beginning of this study were far from being ideal with respect to comfort. 
At 10.27, soon after the observations noted above w T ere made, the teacher partly 
shut off the incoming hot-air supply and opened the two rear windows from the 
top. As a result of this move the temperature of the room was slightly lowered 
(76° F.) and the cooling power somewhat increased (4.7 and 5.4). Here again 
one notes a difference of comfort conditions between the front and rear of the 
room. Although the dry and wet thermometer readings were practically the 
same at each end of the room, the kata showed a cooling power of 4.7 at the 
front, while at the rear the cooling power was 5.4. The air velocity at the two 
points differed in a like manner, being 41 at the front and 74 at the rear. This 
difference is obviously due to the draft created by the open windows at the rear 
of the room and accounts for the more comfortable conditions at that point. 

Such a condition as observed when windows are open from the top is also not 
conducive to comfort, since one-half of the room is still overheated and the 
other half exposed to chilly drafts. For this reason the windows were closed 
and beaver-board deflectors were improvised and placed at the bottom of the 
two rear windows and at one of the side windows. Then the windows were 
opened about 6 inches from the bottom and again ventilation readings were 
taken at the front and rear of the room. It is quite apparent from the results 
indicated in table 2 that this last move created a condition more approaching 
the ideal than the first attempt. By noon the temperature was lowered to 70.5° 
F. and the dry kata indicated a cooling power of nearly 5 units. Condi¬ 
tions at the two extremes of the room were nearly the same and the low air 
velocities indicate absence of drafts. Another interesting improvement was 
also noted, and that is the increase in relative humidity. Prior to the use 
of deflectors and windows open from the bottom the average relative humidity 
was 27 per cent, whereas after the deflectors were installed the relative hu¬ 
midity increased to an average of 33 per cent. 

The results of this experiment are also shown graphically in chart 1. The 
area to the left of the dotted verticle line indicates conditions existing in 
the room when the first ventilation readings were taken, that between the dotted 
lines denoting conditions after the teacher attempted to cool the room with 
whatever means she had at her command, and the area to the right of the 
dotted line indicating conditions when window ventilation, using deflectors, was 
resorted to. 

In conclusion, it seems appropriate to make certain suggestions that may 
prove of value in attempting to maintain comfortable conditions in the school¬ 
rooms of the city of Washington. From the data obtained during the survey 
of the three schools mentioned earlier, it is quite obvious that the schools 
equipped with indirect heating suffer from overheating. That this condition 
can be overcome with glass window deflectors was clearly demonstrated by the 
experiment conducted in the room 4 A-B of the Weightman School. That such 
procedure is justifiable is amply shown by the conditions noted in the Francis 
Junior High, where rooms are ventilated by windows constructed so as to 
deflect air currents, thus insuring fresh air traveling at a very low velocity. 
In view of these observations and others noted previously, it is recommended 
that— 

(1) All schoolrooms having the old-fashioned sash-type windows be furnished 
with glass deflectors about 1 foot high placed at the bottom of the windows. 

(2) Windows should be opened only from the bottom (during cold weather). 

(3) A large thermometer of the inexpensive but fairly accurate type should 
be located near the teacher’s desk, not over 5 feet above the floor. Room air 
should not be allowed to exceed 70° F. 

(4) Whenever rooms are unoccupied, as is the case during recess or noon 
hour, all windows should be thrown wide open for 5 or 10 minutes in order to 
air the room thoroughly. 

(5) Teachers should be informed as to what constitutes good ventilation 
and how such a condition may be properly maintained by whatever means at 
their command. 


202 PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

And, lastly, it may be stated that there are two ways to attain comfortable 
conditions in a schoolroom—one by some suitable mechanical ventilation 
system, and the other by window ventilation. The type chosen for schools 
is largely a matter to be decided by the school authorities, since the amount 
of money to be expended may govern the type of ventilation chosen. There 
are numerous systems of mechanical ventilation in vogue, and the type selected 



c ho-fi-tT . l/ajri ar&'fKS /*i C-tc//nj Pc >*-£/- of 

Sctr.e/ /fie/*, P? / f 

must be left in the hands of appropriating bodies and competent ventilation 
engineers. In case the natural method of ventilation is selected it may be 
well to consider the conditions set forth by the New York State Commission on 
Ventilation as necessary for the success of the window-gravity method of venti¬ 
lation. These are as follows: 























































































































































































































PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


203 


(a) Radiators must be located beneath the windows and extend for the full 
width of the windows from which the air supply is to be derived. These radi¬ 
ators, because much larger than those customarily installed in ordinary plenum 
systems, should be either automatically controlled by intermediate acting 
thermostats or equipped with fractional or modulating hand-controlled valves 
placed at the top of the supply end of the radiator. Even when automatic con¬ 
trol is included it is best to supplement it by the provision of hand control as 
well; and standard metal radiator shields are desirable to protect the pupils 
nearest the radiators from excessive heat. It is to be noted that the use of 
intermediate acting thermostats or modulating hand-controlled valves pre¬ 
supposes the use of a vapor vacuum steam heating system. 

(ft) Deflecting boards of some satisfactory type should be placed at the bot¬ 
tom of the windows. Devices which include small boxlike openings and devices 
which involve the use of filtering screens of various types are undesirable. A 
plain glass deflector 1 foot high is fairly satisfactory, but the best results may 
be obtained by the use of curved vane deflectors, which secure the most equable 
distribution of the air. The windows in the use of this method should open; 
from the bottom and not from the top. 

(e) In order to avoid certain practical difficulties it is recommended that 
windows should be so constructed as to open easily from the bottom and that 
window shades should be firmly attached to the window frame, the best arrange¬ 
ment being that which includes two shades anchored midway between top and 
bottom, one to be pulled upward and the other downward, these shades being 
so guided by cords and pulleys as to avoid the shaking of the screens by the 
incoming air flow. 

(d) Exhaust ducts having a total area of not less than 8 square feet for an 
ordinary schoolroom should be provided on the wall opposite the windows. 
These exhaust openings should be conveniently dampered so that their area 
may be adjusted to varying weather conditions. The exhaust ducts should 
be carried up through the interior of the building so as to avoid chilling, and 
the tendency to back drafts should be further reduced by placing an aspirating 
cowl on the opening at the roof and perhaps by placing heating coils in the 
exhaust duct. 

(e) The schoolroom should not be overcrowded. The successful results re¬ 
ported by the New York committee with this method of ventilation have been 
obtained with a cubic-space allowance of 250 cubic feet per second-grade child 
(39 children in an ordinary schoolroom) and with a cubic space allowance of 
310 cubic feet per sixth-grade child (31 children in an ordinary schoolroom). 

( f ) A large thermometer with 68° F. clearly indicated should be displayed 
in a prominent position on the teacher's desk. 

DRINKING FOUNTAINS 

The next feature to consider is the facilities for drinking water. This plays 
an important part in the health program of the school child. Hygienists gen¬ 
erally agree that the sanitary drinking fountain is the most efficient and eco¬ 
nomical means for supplying drinking water to large numbers of people. This 
is especially true in schools, where large groups are drilled to drink during the 
recess periods. This is where the present standard of one drinking fountain to 
each 50 children is, in my opinion, inadequate. A sensibly designed fountain 
need not be expensive, and the strange reluctance, generally speaking, to pro¬ 
vide adequate drinking facilities may be overcome. 

A battery of at least four fountains in the first floor for hoys and four for 
girls is not an unreasonable demand in addition to two additional fountains 
on each floor. One fountain to each 25 children is a fair standard. At recess 
a group of 50 children will now stand in line at a single fountain. By the time 
the last one drinks his play period (recess) is up. 

Of 148 schools only 21 schools have one fountain to each 50 pupils. The 
remaining schools vary as follows: From one fountain to 51 children to one 
fountain to 100 children, 95 schools; one fountain to 101 children and over, 32 
schools. 

The old-type fountain with a bubble of water rising from an opening in the 
center of a cup-shaped porcelain piece is to be strongly condemned as insanitary. 
Children drinking rapidly in groups undoubtedly contaminate this type of 
bubbler and may aid in the spread of infectious diseases, particularly the 
common cold. 

88733—S. Doc. 58, 70-1 


14 



204 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


It is not an uncommon observation that teachers refuse to use this type of 
fountain because it has an unpleasant odor which results from mouth con¬ 
tamination. 

The only sanitary type of fountain is the kind where the stream of water 
comes out at an angle and where it is impossible for the child to place its 
mouth over the opening from which the water jets. The old insanitary type 
is gradually being replaced in the District schools, but the majority are of the 
old type. 

TOILETS 

The next feature in the health program of the child will be the toilet. In 
this country the toilet arrangement and lavatory are universally placed in the 
same room. 

The standard for girls’ toilets is 1 seat to 15 girls. Sixty-one schools out 
of 148 meet this standard. The remaining schools vary as follows: From 1 
seat to 16 girls to 1 seat to 25 girls, 68 schools; 1 seat to 26 girls and over, 
19 schools. 

The standard of 1 seat to each 25 boys is fulfilled by 111 of 148 schools. 
This is a good showing, but there are 7 schools where the proportion is 1 seat 
to 40 or more boys. 

The standard for boys’ urinals is 1 urinal to 15 boys. This standard is ful¬ 
filled by 65 of 146 schools. The remaining schools vary as follows: From 1 
urinal to 16 boys to 1 urinal to 25 boys, 62 schools; 1 urinal to 25 boys and 
tover, 19 schools. 

The urinals of all the schools, with the exception of the few modern buildings, 
are placed in the dark, gloomy basement and are built of slate. This slate 
eventually absorbs urine and can hardly be kept free of odor. 

Special toilet seats should be provided for kindergarten children. Of 128 
schools with kindergarten classrooms only 44 have special toilet seats and none 
has special lavatory arrangements for small children. 

LAVATORIES 

Lavatories should be clean, convenient, and have an all-year liot-water supply. 
Washing the hands at the proper time is certainly one of the most important 
health habits to be taught to the child. This will never be satisfactorily done 
unless attractive arrangements are made for the child. 

Of 150 schools, 31 have constant hot water, and 15 of these are junior high 
and high schools; 10 have hot water when furnace is used; and 109 have no 
hot water at any time. 

One lavatory to each 25 children is the recognized standard. Only nine schools 
in the District meet this requirement and six of these are junior high and high 
schools. 

The lack of even fair lavatory facilities is one of the glaring defects of the 
District schools. 

CLOAKROOMS 

The cloakroom facilities were studied in 149 buildings, and conditions were 
satisfactory in this respect. However, there were seven grade-school buildings 
where individual hooks were not provided. In the grade schools each child 
should have an individual hook, and these hooks should be at least 12 inches 
apart. This space is rarely allotted. The reason for this recommended space 
is for the airing and drying of damp or even wet outer garments. 

All cloakrooms should be heated, and yet there are 91 grade-school buildings 
without heat in the cloakrooms. 


FIRE PROTECTION 

The problem of fire protection is always a serious one. Several features were 
considered from this viewpoint, as follows: 

1. Fire-alarm system. 

2. All doors to open outward. Self-releasing doors at main exits. 

3. Narrow corridors. 

4. Narrow stairways with dangerous angles. 

5. Boxed-in stairways. 

6. Fire escapes. 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


205 


7. Automatic sprinklers in basement 

8. Fire extinguishers. 

9. Construction. 

Of 129 buildings inspected for fire-alarm system, only 2 were not so equipped.* 

The classroom doors and exit doors of all school buildings open outward with 
the exception of only two rooms. 

The outside doors of 33 buildings had self-releasing doors. 

All corridors were satisfactory. 

Forty-nine buildings had boxed-in stairways; that is, the stairways were not 
clear underneath. Twenty-one other school buildings had part of the stairways 
boxed in. 

Automatic fire sprinklers in the basement were found in only one building. 
This installation may not be necessary in school buildings but is an extra 
safeguard found in all modern hospitals. 

Fire extinguishers were found in 126 grade-school buildings inspected for 
this purpose. The numbers ranged from 1 extinguisher in a building to 14 in 
four buildings. 

The construction of a building is important from the viewpoint of fire protec¬ 
tion. The modern buildings are well planned and constructed with this pur¬ 
pose in view. 

A summary of the dates of construction of the original buildings shows that 
87 buildings were erected prior to 1900. Since 1922, 21 schools have been built. 

The great majority of schools are two-floor buildings with a basement. The 
tendency to get away from the gloomy below-ground level basement is thank¬ 
fully seen in the new buildings. 

The most common type of building is the eight-classroom school. 

CLASSROOMS 

The classroom must be considered as the unit of the school system. It is 
here that the child spends most of his school time. Therefore the hygienic 
arrangement of the classroom is of paramount importance. 

The fundamental items of a healthful classroom will be reenumerated. 

1. Heating. 

2. Ventilation. 

3. Lighting. 

4. Seating. 

5. Cleanliness. 

6. Appearance. 

The regulation of the heating of the classroom has already been considered. 
It is my opinion that a classroom will never be properly heated and ventilated 
unless (1) the teacher is instructed in the proper method; (2) has control of 
the heat in her room; (3) has an accurate thermometer properly placed; (4) 
has either glass window boards or the austral swing type of windows; (5) a 
duct for gravity exhaust. 

That the old type of hot air heated schoolroom can be comfortably heated 
and ventilated was definitely demonstrated if window boards are furnished 
with the sash windows. 

The heating of the classroom necessarily depends upon the supply of heat. 
During the cold weather this is furnished by a central heating plant in each 
particular building. 

The temperature of the room which is recommended as most healthful and 
comfortable is 68° to 70°. 

To determine the efficiency of the heating and ventilation of schoolrooms in 
the District the temperature readings of 1,212 rooms during January, 1927, were 
analyzed. The temperature of 60° occurred in 84 rooms in the morning and 48 
rooms in the afternoon. The maximum temperatures also show a wide fluctua¬ 
tion. frequently rising over 80°. 

Ventilating window boards are present in only about 12 per cent of the class¬ 
rooms. This is a serious fault which requires attention and would not be 
impracticable or too expensive to be corrected. The increased efficiency and 
comfort of the children would well repay the expense incurred. 

The old type hot-air furnace should be replaced as rapidly as is expedient. 


* Chain Bridge School, four rooms; Conduit Road School, one room. 



206 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

ILLUMINATION 

The illumination of a schoolroom is of great importance. This consists of 
natural and artificial illumination. Good natural illumination is to he pre¬ 
ferred. To get proper natural illumination in a schoolroom there are several 
things to be considered. 

The requirements of school lighting are best summarized by J. W. Walsh, 5 
as follows: 

1. No place is fit for use in a schoolroom where diamond type can not be 
read easily by a normal observer at a distance of half a meter. 

2. The darkest desk in any schoolroom should receive not less than 0.5 per 
cent of the unrestricted illumination from the complete sky hemisphere (i. e., 
the minimum window efficiency should be at least 0.5 per cent.) 

3. The windows should be located in the wall to the left of the pupils, and the 
glass should be carried to the ceiling and not interrupted by cornices, pillars, 
or decorations. 

4. No desk in a schoolroom should be farther from the window wall than 
twice the height of the top of the glass above the desk surface. 

5. The ceiling should be white. The wall opposite to the windows and the 
w r all behind the children should be lightly colored from 30 inches above the 
desk level. The wall around or behind blackboards should be somewhat darker 
than the rest of the room. 

G. All furniture, desks, and surfaces in the lower part of the room should be 
furnished in an unobtrusive color, dark shades (colors) and black being 
avoided. 

7. The area of the window glass should not be less than one-fifth of the floor 
space in rooms up to 20 feet across and one-fourth of the floor area in wider 
rooms. 

8. Right-hand lighting is deprecated, bilateral lighting is less satisfactory 
than left lighting, lighting from behind the teacher is usually a source of glare 
to the children who face the window. Lighting from behind the children is apt 
to cause glare and discomfort to the teacher. 

9. Roof lighting generally provides an abundance of light, but gives a com¬ 
fortless and imprisoned impression. Internal decoration of a schoolroom should 
be arranged with a view to good diffusion of light. 

The amount of glass area in a room is of vital importance. The minimum is 
20 per cent glass area to floor area. Of 1.228 rooms inspected over 65 per cent 
have less than 20 per cent glass to floor area. 

The arrangement of the windows is very important. The consensus of 
opinion is that the best practical illumination comes with the windows on the 
left side of the room. Windows in front of the room should not be tolerated. 
Seventy-seven per cent of the classrooms have windows on the left and rear. 
Too many rooms have windows on the right, and there are even a few with 
windows in front. 

Classrooms should be so arranged that part of the sky will be visible from 
every desk. Yet there are 324 rooms in the District w’here the sky can not be 
seen from all the desks. This means that good natural illumination in these 
rooms is virtually impossible. 

Window shades are an important adjunct in the control of illumination. The 
best light for the desks in the far side of the room enters through the upper 
part of the window. Therefore, no window shade should be hung from the 
top. The most satisfactory method of hanging shades is to have two shades 
adjustable from the middle of the window. The shades in about 50 per cent 
of the classrooms were of this type. There were nine rooms without shades. 
The method of and purpose of adjusting the shades should be explained to the 
teachers. They should understand that the purpose of the shades is to control 
natural illumination and sun glare and not for an orderly appearance of hav¬ 
ing the shades at the same position in each window, as is now the general 
practice. The shades should be kept in good condition and renewed when 
necessary. 

COLOR OF WALLS AND CEILING 

The color of the walls and ceiling play an important part in good illumination. 
The walls should be of flat, light color and have no glare. The ceiling should be 
flat white. 


6 J. W. Walsh, Elementary Principles of Lighting, Chap. IX, 1923. 




PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 207 

The important feature to bear in mind is the necessity of repainting. Many 
schools have had no new paint in 10 years. Dark walls and ceiling absorb the 
light. 

The use of the hot-air furnace will darken the walls and ceiling in less than 
three years. The importance and need of repainting can not be exaggerated. 

BLACKBOARDS 

The blackboard arrangement is a troublesome question. The ideal position 
of the blackboard is across the front wall only. The right side of the room 
(if the room has ample-glass area) can be utilized for blackboard space. The 
demand for more blackboard area should be limited by common sense as black¬ 
boards absorb a great deal of light. The blackboard should lie of slate so 
that it is easily cleaned and has no refractive surface to cause glare. 

All the old-style schools in the District are equipped with painted plaster- 
blackboards. These are not a permanently smooth black surface and should 
be replaced with slate. 

It seems strange that the classrooms of some of the new buildings are very 
similar to those constructed 50 years ago. The windows are spaced 3^ feet 
apart and blackboards placed between the windows. The latter is inexcusable. 

The size of the room is important for the efficiency of natural illumination. 
The best type of room is one with a width of 20 to 22 feet and a length of 30 to 
32 feet. The ceiling should be at least 12 feet high. If the room is more than 
22 feet wide, the desks on the far side from the windows can not receive 
adequate natural illumination. 

Practically all of the rooms have ample height. Many rooms show too much 
width. The length of the room is not so important, providing there is ample 
glass area on the left side of the room. The reason for this is apparent. If a 
considerable part of the glass area is in the rear of a long room, the desks near 
the right front will be poorly illuminated. 

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING 

Artificial lighting is absolutely necessary in this latitude with its many dark 
days. Electric lighting is the most satisfactory and economical. This is one 
feature which has been given wide attention in the District schools in recent 
years. 

The lights are well arranged and are so wired that the row near and away 
from the windows can be lighted separately. There are two schools where the 
wiring and installation of electric fixtures have been completed for more than a 
year, but the city current has not yet been brought in. 

I may say here that there is not a single classroom in the District which 
should be used without artificial lighting facilities. The electric lighting is not 
always adequate where it has been installed. This needs special attention. 

DESKS 

The desk (this includes the seat) is a very important hygienic feature. The 
adjustable desk is of little use if the desks are not properly adjusted. It is 
taken for granted that single desks should be used universally. 

The adjusting of desks should receive attention at least twice a year. 

The condition of the furniture is very poor in many schools. 

Most authorities consider that 30 children in one room should be the limit 
for one teacher. There are 1,032 grade rooms with over 35 desks. Of this 
group, 965 rooms have 40 or more desks. 

SUMMARY 

The desk (this includes the seat) is a very important hygienic feature. The 
essential features which can be remedied now are: 

1. Glass window-board ventilators for all classrooms with sash windows. 

2. Reliable thermometers, properly placed in each classroom. 

3. The instruction of teachers in the principles of ventilating the rooms. 

4. The replacement of worn-out classroom furniture. 

5. The proper equipment of windows with shades and instruction in their use. 

6. The painting of walls and ceilings of classrooms at more frequent intervals. 


208 


PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 


7. The furnishing of slate blackboards, and limiting them to the front wall 
and right wall of the grade rooms. 

8. Smooth hardwood floors in all rooms used for kindergartens and first 
grades. 

9. Toilet and lavatory facilities for kindergarten children. 

10. Hard surfacing of sufficient area about the school building for restricted 
play in wet weather. 

11. Ample number of drinking fountains. 

12. Ample number and satisfactory placing of lavatory facilitites. 

For future planning there are several important features to be considered: 

1. Sufficient playground area to give each pupil the minimum of 50 square 
feet. 

2. Modern heating plants. 

3. All new school plans to receive the examination and approval of the 
chief of the health supervision and medical inspection of schools. 

4. The ample provision in school buildings for teachers’ rest rooms, medical 
examination rooms, and children’s rest rooms in each building. 

5. Special building for the atypical children now housed in makeshift, over¬ 
crowded buildings. 


o 





















































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